Tesla’s Cybertruck is going to be more expensive than originally planned

The Cybertruck, the object of intense fascination and ridicule that may or may not go into production next year, was supposed to start at $39,900. A lot has changed since the first announcement of the Cybertruck.

Speaking at his company's annual shareholder meeting, Musk said that the Cybertruck's specifications and price will be different due to inflation and other issues that have arisen since the electric truck was first unveiled.

He went on to say that the Cybertruck was one hell of a product and that it was a good machine.

The Cybertruck was supposed to be in volume production by the middle of next year, but that has been changed. The production was supposed to start in the middle of the 21st century. The company delayed the announcement until August 2021. In the meantime, competitors like Ford and Rivian have launched their own electric pickup, with Ford saying that it plans to make 150,000 F-150s by 2023.

• Musk didn’t divulge any details beyond noting that the original price would not be the same. In 2019, Tesla said it would make three versions of the Cybertruck:
• Single motor rear-wheel drive with 250 miles of range, 7,500-pound towing capacity, and zero to 60mph capabilities in under 6.5 seconds for $39,900
• Dual motor all-wheel drive with 300 miles of range, 10,000-pound towing capacity, and zero to 60mph in under 4.5 seconds for $49,900
• Triple motor all-wheel drive with 500 miles of range, 14,000-pound towing capacity, and zero to 60mph in under 2.9 seconds for $69,900.

Is there still a plan to make those three versions? Who doesn't know? Is it going to go into production in the middle of the next decade? Try a second time.

There are unanswered questions about the number of reservations thatTesla has on file. In June 2020, the last number was 650,000. According to Electrek, a Cybertruck reservation tally by the Cybertruck forum with over 28,000 entries put reservations at over 1 million. Over the last year, the number has grown and is now thought to be close to 1.5 million reservations.

The Model 3 is the only EV in the non-vaporware lineup that has seen a price hike. The new climate deal put forward by Senate Democrats would eliminate the cap on the number of vehicles that can qualify for the tax credit. The phaseout was triggered by the first 200,000 electric vehicles sold byTesla.

If the Cybertruck is to be eligible for the credits, it will have to be priced in line with the price of the new cars and pickup trucks.