Tesla to wind down Cybertruck output in Texas to make room for robotaxi

What Musk announced

Posting on X early Friday, Elon Musk said Tesla will "be winding down" Cybertruck production at the Texas gigafactory around mid next year. He has pitched the pickup as the segment's future and said the end of production at the site would free space for Cybercab robotaxi manufacturing.

The Cybertruck is built only in Texas today, produced alongside the Tesla Model Y and a two-seat Cybercab that Musk has called crucial for the company's next phase. He did not say whether Cybertruck output would move to another location. When an X user called the update an "end of an era" and the truck the "best vehicle Tesla has ever made," Musk replied, "True, but the Cybertruck fleet will be around for a long time." Tesla began deliveries in late 2023, and CNBC's request for comment was not answered right away.

Product and sales context

Before launch, Musk predicted annual Cybertruck sales could eventually reach 250,000, but the vehicle never hit mass-market scale and instead drew a niche following around its angular design. At the 2019 unveiling, he said, "Trucks have been the same for a very long time," adding, "Like 100 years. Trucks have been basically the same. We want to try something different."

Cox Automotive estimated U.S. Cybertruck sales last year at 20,237, a 48% drop from 38,965 in 2024. One major buyer was SpaceX, which spent $131 million on Cybertrucks at Tesla's suggested retail prices, according to a SpaceX filing. CNBC also published a 12 minute, 23 second video titled "Why Cybertruck sales have struggled."

Market shifts remind us that staying informed can shape smarter investment decisions. We're hosting our first ever investor livestream on 11/17 to show you how to use ChatGPT and Claude to invest like a pro, hosted by Briefs Finance CEO Jaspreet Singh. Save your seat.

Image, reception, and recalls

Owners told CNBC the truck's distinctive look sometimes triggered rude gestures and even road rage in May of last year, after Musk became the largest financial backer of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and went on to head the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative to reduce federal jobs and regulations. In an October 2025 feature, Wired wrote, "There is likely no object that feels more emblematic of US president Donald Trump's return to the White House than the Tesla Cybertruck," and relayed accounts from owners who said they were spit on and sworn at.

Some specifications did not match earlier Tesla claims and, in some cases, lagged leading gasoline pickups. The 2024 Cybertruck accounted for 11 voluntary recalls listed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including a risk of a "trapped" accelerator pedal that might lead to unintended acceleration, software problems, and an inverter issue that could lead to an abrupt loss of drive power.

What this means for your portfolio

The bottom line: Tesla plans to redeploy Texas capacity to the Cybercab robotaxi as Cybertruck output winds down around mid next year. With deliveries having started in late 2023 and U.S. sales estimated at 20,237 last year versus 38,965 in 2024, watch how the shift affects volumes, model mix, and whether the robotaxi becomes the "crucial product" Musk envisions.

New tools give long term investors fresh ways to refine their edge. On 11/17, our CEO Jaspreet Singh goes live for our first ever investor livestream on how to use ChatGPT and Claude to invest like a pro. Register to join him.