Elon Musk has reversed a decision to kill off the Cybertruck, announcing Wednesday that Tesla will keep building the vehicle through the end of summer 2027 to clear its backlog of orders.
The reversal comes just days after Musk said last Thursday that Cybertruck production would wind down around the middle of next year to free up capacity for the company’s new Cybercab.
On X, Musk explained the change of heart. “This is not the smartest move from a profit-maximizing standpoint btw, but there must be some room in this world for sentimentality or what’s the point,” he wrote.
The decision matters directly to Texas, since Tesla’s headquarters there is the only facility capable of manufacturing the specialized components used in the Cybertruck.
Despite the extension, Musk’s attention has clearly shifted to the Cybercab, a two-seat autonomous vehicle with butterfly doors and no steering wheel or pedals. The Cybercab is central to Musk’s effort to reposition Tesla as an AI and robotics company rather than a traditional automaker.
A Rocky Sales History
The Cybertruck debuted as a prototype in 2019 and went on sale to the public in November 2023. Its angular, stainless-steel design drew attention, but sales never came close to Musk’s early projections of 250,000 vehicles a year.
According to Kelley Blue Book, U.S. sales actually fell last year to about 20,000 vehicles, down from nearly 39,000 in 2024.
Musk has also recently turned attention to other projects, including a redesigned version of the Tesla Roadster unveiled in October — nine years after the second-generation Roadster prototype was first introduced, now shown off as a flying version.
