The key facts

  • Tesla will halt Cybertruck production in 2027, with the freed-up space taken over by Cybercab robotaxi output
  • Sales over three years — tens of thousands of vehicles versus Musk's forecast of 250,000 per year
  • This is the third Tesla model discontinued in favor of robotaxis and robots: the Model S and Model X were previously axed

The End of the Cybertruck

Tesla will stop producing the Cybertruck pickup in 2027. The company's CEO announced this Elon Musk on his X account: the freed-up production space at the plant will be used to build the two-seat Cybercab robotaxi. TechCrunch reports on the decision.

Promises and Reality

The company had to discontinue the model after several years of weak sales. At the handover of the first Cybertrucks in late 2023, Musk projected around 250,000 sales per year, but over three years Tesla sold only tens of thousands of vehicles in total. Before construction even began, the Texas plant was even called the 'Cybertruck factory' — that's how important the model was considered for the company's future.

How the Model Diverged From Its Original Plans

The Cybertruck was unveiled in 2019, when Tesla promised a starting price below $40,000 and a range of up to 500 miles. Neither figure was ever achieved: production was delayed by two years, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and by the launch in late 2023 the base price had risen to roughly $60,000, while the maximum range had shrunk by more than 100 miles. At the 2019 presentation, when designer Franz von Holzhausen smashed the pickup's windows with steel balls, it became clear that the claimed specifications would not hold up. The handover ceremony for the first vehicles, as described by TechCrunch, was short and unusual even by Tesla's standards: standing in the truck bed in poor lighting, Musk called the pickup the 'best apocalypse-proof gear».

A Pivot to Robots and Robotaxis

The Cybertruck becomes the third model discontinued in favor of Tesla's new priorities — a company that, in TechCrunch's words, aims to become an AI and robotics business. Earlier this year, Tesla ended production of the Model S sedan and the Model X crossover, redirecting the freed-up capacity to manufacturing the Optimus humanoid robots. Cybercab robotaxis have been operating in Austin, Texas, for two months without major incidents; the company named Dallas as the next city, where it plans to launch this month. In addition, Tesla operates Model Y-based robotaxis in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and three Florida cities.

What Hurt Sales

According to TechCrunch, the polarizing design never won over buyers, especially at a price above expectations. The outlet also cites Musk's political activity as an additional factor: in 2024, the first full year of sales, he became a major sponsor of Donald Trump, and the recognizable Cybertruck became a target for protesters; in 2025 — when Musk led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which fired thousands of federal employees — the situation continued. This is the outlet's assessment, not company-confirmed data on the reasons for the decision.