Elon Musk delays Tesla’s Cybertruck for yet another year due to ‘supply chain shortages’

‘This year has been a constant struggle with parts supply. We’ve been limited by so many supply chain shortages - not just chips’, Elon Musk said

(AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has announced that the Cybertruck will go into production in 2023, following manufacturing delays.

In a recent shareholder meeting, Mr Musk also confirmed that the Tesla Semi heavy goods vehicle and the Tesla Roadster sports car would also begin production that year.

“This year has been a constant struggle with parts supply. We’ve been limited by so many supply chain shortages - not just chips. Most likely what we’ll see is Cybertruck start production at the end of next year, then reach volume production in 2023”, Mr Musk said.

“Hopefully we can also be producing the Semi and the new Roadster in ‘23 as well, so we should be through our severe supply chain shortages by 2023 and I’m optimistic that’ll be the case.”

It is unclear whether regulations on the truck would mean it makes it off the United States’ shores, due to its size and angular profile making it an impediment for pedesrtians, as well as the general appetite for large pick-up trucks abroad.

Last year, Mr Musk said that Tesla was “designing the Cybertruck to meet the American spec … because if you try to design a car to meet the superset of all global requirements, basically, you can’t make the Cybertruck. It’s impossible.” Mr Musk has hinted at the possibility of a smaller type of truck, but details are as-yet scarce.

Delays to the Cybertruck were known well before Mr Musk’s announcement. Reuters reported the news earlier this month, and Tesla had originally promised that the vehicle would be coming at the end of 2021. Following that, full production was scheduled until 2022 until this announcement – pushing the date back another year.

It was initually reported that the delay was a result of “changing features and functions” that the Cybertruck would have, but now it appears that it has been more heavily affected by external factors.