Tesla will wind down production of its Cybertruck electric pickup at its Texas Gigafactory, marking a major shift for a vehicle that Elon Musk once projected would sell hundreds of thousands of units annually.
The decision will allow the electric vehicle manufacturer to redirect factory capacity towards producing more Cybercabs, its autonomous two-seat vehicles designed for the company’s robotaxi business.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the plan on Friday, November 6, 2026, in a post on X, saying the company would wind down Cybertruck production at the Austin facility around the middle of next year.
Musk said the move would allow Tesla to accommodate increased Cybercab production, signalling the company’s growing focus on autonomous transport and artificial intelligence.
However, the announcement did not establish whether Tesla would permanently discontinue the Cybertruck or move its production to another facility.
The Texas Gigafactory remains the only known Tesla plant equipped to manufacture the pickup’s specialised components.
Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill also acknowledged the transition, describing the vehicle’s contribution to the company’s technology development.
“Cybertruck was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab,” Morrill said in a post on X.
Musk also reassured existing owners that the decision would not mean an immediate disappearance of the vehicles already on the road.
“True, but the Cybertruck fleet will be around for a long time,” he wrote in response to a post discussing the production decision.
The production wind-down follows years of disappointing sales for the stainless-steel pickup, which attracted global attention when Tesla unveiled it in November 2019.
Musk initially projected that Tesla could sell approximately 250,000 Cybertrucks annually once production reached full capacity.
However, the vehicle has struggled to attract the number of buyers needed to meet that ambition.
According to Kelley Blue Book estimates cited by Reuters, Tesla sold 38,965 Cybertrucks in the United States in 2024. Sales then dropped by 48 per cent to 20,237 units in 2025.
The figures represent a significant gap between the company’s original projections and actual consumer demand.
The Cybertruck also entered the market at a much higher price than Tesla initially promised. During its 2019 unveiling, the company advertised a starting price of $39,900. However, the vehicle eventually reached customers in late 2023 with prices considerably higher than the original entry-level promise.
By November 2026, Cybertruck prices ranged from $82,490 to $102,490, depending on the model.
The high prices limited its appeal among consumers, particularly as the vehicle competed in a market where buyers already had established pickup options.
Tesla also faced challenges turning the Cybertruck’s unconventional design into a mass-market advantage. Its angular stainless-steel exterior generated significant attention but divided potential buyers.
Beyond its sales performance, the Cybertruck has faced several quality-control and safety concerns since Tesla began delivering the vehicles in November 2023.
The company has issued 11 recalls involving the pickup, according to data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. One major recall in 2025 affected 46,096 Cybertrucks after concerns that an exterior light bar could detach from the vehicle while driving. Other recalls involved components requiring physical repairs and software updates.
The vehicle’s unusual design also created obstacles in international markets.
Former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer questioned the commercial logic of continuing production when the pickup failed to meet its targets.
“It doesn’t make sense to keep it going when it’s not meeting its targets,” Palmer said.
He added: “Every rational auto guy would say the same.”
Palmer also highlighted the regulatory challenges facing the Cybertruck in markets such as Europe, where pedestrian-impact safety requirements create difficulties for vehicles with sharp exterior structures.
The decision to wind down Cybertruck production comes as Musk pushes Tesla towards autonomous transport, robotics and artificial intelligence. The company wants the Cybercab to become a central part of its robotaxi network. The two-seat vehicle features a steering-wheel-free and pedal-free design, allowing it to operate as an autonomous taxi.
Tesla began offering paid rides using a limited fleet of Cybercabs in parts of Austin in September 2026.
However, the robotaxi programme still faces regulatory scrutiny. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit in September to examine Tesla’s self-certification of the Cybercab against federal vehicle safety standards.
Despite those challenges, Musk continues to position autonomous transport as a major part of Tesla’s future.
The Cybertruck wind-down also follows Tesla’s decision earlier in 2026 to discontinue production of its Model S and Model X vehicles as it redirected resources towards other priorities.
Meanwhile, the Cybertruck has relied partly on purchases from companies associated with Musk. SpaceX bought Cybertrucks worth $131 million from Tesla in 2025 at list prices, according to its initial public offering filing.
