Tesla will halt production of its Cybertruck electric pickup in about 8 months and refund deposits to some reservation holders. It plans to build as many vehicles as possible before the end of production, but said it will be difficult to fulfill all existing orders. Factory space and resources freed up by the shutdown will be used to expand production of the two-seat Cybercab robotaxi.

On Nov. 9, citing TechCrunch and other foreign media, the report said Tesla CEO Elon Musk (일론 머스크) made the remarks on X, formerly Twitter, saying Cybertruck orders far exceed production. He said Tesla will try to make as many vehicles as possible before the end of production, but "will have to return deposits for a lot of people."

Musk stressed the decision was not due to worsening Cybertruck profitability. He said the value gained from increasing Cybercab output far outweighs the opportunity cost from the complexity of Cybertruck production. He said it is more efficient to use factory space and staff previously allocated to Cybertruck to produce Cybercab. Tesla plans to increase Cybercab production by using the Cybertruck production area at its Texas Gigafactory.

It is unclear whether Cybertruck reservation holders will be able to take delivery of vehicles. Musk did not disclose who would be eligible for refunds, the specific process, or vehicle allocation criteria based on reservation timing. The report said the remarks were also not considered official refund guidance to customers.

The Cybertruck drew attention when it began first deliveries to customers in late 2023, with reservations reaching 1 million. Musk projected annual sales of 250,000, but actual sales fell well short. Tesla does not disclose model-by-model sales, and industry experts estimate cumulative sales at about 71,000 since the first deliveries in November 2023.

Electrek, an electric vehicle specialist outlet, analysed that Tesla’s annual Cybertruck production capacity is more than 125,000 vehicles, but actual production speed remained at about 30,000 a year. It also cited repeated discounts and price adjustments as evidence of weak demand. Tesla does not disclose model-specific profitability, making it difficult to confirm whether the vehicle is loss-making.

Amid weak sales, purchases by affiliates led by Musk accounted for a significant share. SpaceX said in a securities filing submitted ahead of an initial public offering that it bought $131 million worth of Cybertrucks from Tesla in 2025.

Tesla’s warning of a production end could raise scarcity in the short term and increase last-minute demand. But the shutdown shows a strategic shift by Tesla to scale back a Cybertruck-centred production system and move business capabilities to Cybercab. Whether expanding Cybercab production will translate into profitability and business performance will be key.

The Cybertruck order rate far exceeds our production rate. We will try to make as many as possible before shutting down the line in about 8 months, but will have to return deposits for a lot of people. This is not a case of Cybertruck being unprofitable, as has been misreported by legacy media, but rather that the opportunity cost of the complexity of Cybertruck is vastly outweighed by the value of incremental Cybercab production.