Elon Musk admits defeat as Tesla ends production of recall-plagued Cybertruck
Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a shock announcement on Friday, declaring that the electric vehicle brand’s iconic Cybertruck would no longer be produced next year.
Musk revealed on X that Tesla’s ‘Gigafactory’ in Texas would begin winding down construction of Cybertrucks by the middle of 2027.
One fan of the brand called the news ‘the end of an era,’ which caused Musk to reply that his Cybertruck fleet would still be ‘around for a long time.’
The Cybertruck had sparked controversy and criticism since it was unveiled in 2019, starting with the vehicle’s so-called ‘unbreakable’ window being shattered by a metal ball during Musk’s public presentation.
Customers did not start getting their Cybertrucks delivered for another four years, and its rollout was marred by higher prices, a shorter driving range, multiple recalls and poor overall sales.
The polarizing angular stainless-steel design also became a target of vandals, who were seen damaging and attempting to destroy numerous Cybertrucks to protest Musk’s work with the Trump Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Cybertruck announcement comes just days after it was revealed that Musk lost more than $445 million attempting to aid dozens of conservative candidates’ midterm campaigns.
Of the 37 House Republicans Musk supported, only three won their midterm race. Six of seven Senate candidates the billionaire Tesla owner supported lost their races as well.
Elon Musk stands in front of a Cybertruck in 2019 after its window was smashed during a demonstration
Musk announced on Friday that the Tesla Cybertruck would end its run in mid-2027
Musk added in his sudden announcement Friday morning that Tesla would be shifting towards building self-driving robotaxis, known as the Cybercab.
Since entering the car market on November 30, 2023, the Cybertruck has been recalled 11 times for various mechanical issues.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that the issues included a light bar that could fall off, the brightness of the parking lights, loose trim panels, windshield wiper problems and a flaw that would cause the accelerator pedal pad to stick.
Most of the recalls were handled either by a free over-the-air software updates downloaded wirelessly to the truck or by a free service visit at a Tesla center to replace the defective parts.
It was also noted that the wheel studs could separate on some trucks, leading to a smaller recall of 173 vehicles in April.
Musk’s announcement sparked frustration among a surprising group of critics on Friday – fans of Tesla and Cybertruck, who expressed their anger at the decision to retire a vehicle they claim performs very well.
One person said: ‘This is a terrible plan unless you’re coming out with another large vehicle.’
‘This is madness Elon. People want a vehicle that we can can control off road that is a Tesla,’ another Tesla fan said.
This is a breaking story. More details to follow.
Musk’s Cybertrucks were the target of vandals after he began working with President Trump and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
