Tesla will stop building the Cybertruck at its Texas Gigafactory next year, ending production of an electric pickup whose polarizing design and association with Elon Musk helped hold back sales, according to Wired. The decision affects Tesla, its Texas plant and the truck's current and prospective owners, and it removes from the market a vehicle that drew multiple recalls.
The Cybertruck carried a 123 kilowatt-hour battery weighing roughly 1,600 pounds, about a quarter of the vehicle's total weight, the article reported. That pack was comparable to the battery in Ford's F-150 Lightning, another electric truck that was canceled late last year; Ford's batteries in that truck ranged from 98 kilowatt-hours to 131 kilowatt-hours. Ford also ended a three-row EV in 2024.
The two cancellations, coming within a year of each other, arrive as automakers announce smaller EVs and gas-powered vehicles with electric motors that extend range. Ford plans to launch the Fathom next year, a sub-$30,000 electric pickup expected to be about the size of its compact gas-powered Maverick. Ford has not announced battery sizes for the Fathom's trims, and it also plans to relaunch the Lightning as an extended-range model.
Startup Slate is preparing a small electric pickup that can convert to an SUV, with a base model starting below $25,000 and a slim battery. Rivian launched the R2 this year with an 88 kilowatt-hour battery weighing around 1,200 pounds, smaller than its flagship R1S, and has teased a further downsized R3.
Large EVs have not disappeared. The Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S rank among the top 10 EVs by US sales, and the F-150 Lightning has a strong resale market, the article noted. The rest of that top 10 consists of crossovers, sedans and mid-sized SUVs with moderate batteries.
Smaller vehicles can lower prices because a lighter vehicle needs a smaller pack, and the battery is an EV's most expensive component. The average transaction price for a new EV model is now $55,800, according to Cox Automotive. Smaller packs also stretch a constrained battery supply: a standard-range Hyundai Ioniq 5 uses a battery about half the size of the Cybertruck's for the same everyday trips.
US EV sales fell after the Trump administration ended EV incentives last year, though the Iran War and rising gas prices have revived interest, and used hybrid sales have picked up. Musk has said Tesla is ending Cybertruck production to make room for more Cybercabs, which use 48 kilowatt-hour batteries.
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