End of the Cybertruck era? Tesla wants to repurpose Texas factory for robotaxis

US automaker Tesla plans to end production of its electric Cybertruck pickup at its Texas factory in the middle of next year. It wants to use the freed-up production capacity to expand output of its autonomous Cybercab. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the plan in a post on his social network X.

Musk did not say whether Tesla would move Cybertruck production to another plant or withdraw the model from its lineup altogether. He also did not comment on the fate of outstanding orders. With its futuristic, angular design, the Cybertruck has drawn mixed reactions since its launch and is one of the automaker’s most distinctive projects.

Tesla fans on X are mourning the Cybertruck’s departure. Musk, however, assured them that a fleet of Cybertrucks will be around for a long time.

The Cybertruck, an angular stainless-steel behemoth, was unveiled in November 2019. Musk said at the time that it had received 250,000 pre-orders in a short period. Production was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed several times. Customer deliveries did not begin until late 2023.

Tesla built a production line in Texas with a planned capacity of 250,000 vehicles a year. Sales, however, never came close to that figure.

Tesla does not report Cybertruck sales revenue separately. The other models category, which includes the pickup, accounts for only a small percentage of revenue. Cox Automotive estimates that a total of 72,702 units have been sold so far, more than half of them in 2024.

The Cybercab is a two-seat autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, which Tesla unveiled in October 2024. It began production at its Texas plant this April, and in September the company started offering paid rides in Austin through its existing Robotaxi service.

According to Cox Automotive analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty, the decision to end Cybertruck production shows how difficult it is to turn initial interest and enthusiasm for a new model into sustained demand among a broader customer base. Tesla wanted the model to break into the vast US pickup market, but the vehicle ultimately became more of a niche product.

The autonomous Cybercab taxi is a key part of Musk’s plan to transform Tesla from an automaker into a company focused on artificial intelligence and robotics. The success of this strategy, however, depends on whether the company can develop and deploy fully autonomous driving technology on a larger scale—something it has yet to achieve.