Tesla will begin winding down production of its Cybertruck electric pickup around the middle of 2027 to create room for more production of its Cybercab driverless taxi, chief executive Elon Musk has said.
Mr Musk announced the plan on X on Friday, November 6, 2026, saying the wind-down would take place at the company’s Gigafactory in Texas. He did not say the Cybertruck would be discontinued entirely, but the Texas plant is currently the only factory that makes the pickup.
The Cybertruck was unveiled in 2019. At Tesla’s May 2023 shareholder meeting, Mr Musk estimated that annual sales could eventually reach between 250,000 and 500,000 units once production was fully established.
Sales have fallen well short of that. According to estimates from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book, Cybertruck sales in the United States dropped from 38,965 units in 2024 to 20,237 in 2025. In the first nine months of 2026, about 11,586 units were sold, a 28 per cent decline from the same period in 2025.
The vehicle has also faced recalls. In 2024, Tesla recalled Cybertrucks over accelerator pedals that could become trapped, potentially causing unintended acceleration. In 2025, more than 46,000 were recalled because stainless-steel exterior panels could detach while driving. In April 2026, 173 vehicles were recalled over brake rotor problems that could cause wheel studs to separate.
The Cybercab, first unveiled in 2024, is a two-seat electric vehicle designed to operate as an autonomous taxi. It has no steering wheel or pedals for a human driver.
Tesla began offering paid robotaxi rides in selected parts of Austin, Texas, in September 2026. Fully driverless transport still faces technological, regulatory and safety challenges, and wider commercial deployment will depend on meeting the relevant requirements.
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Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, said during the company’s recent earnings discussions that Tesla was targeting the availability of Cybercabs for customer purchase by the end of 2026. Mr Musk has suggested, however, that most Cybercabs will remain under Tesla ownership and operate as part of its own robotaxi network, which would let Tesla earn revenue from passenger journeys, not only from vehicle sales.
The Texas Gigafactory has installed capacity to make more than 125,000 Cybertrucks a year. Redirecting part of it to Cybercab production would mark a major change in how Tesla uses its manufacturing resources.
Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill, reacting to the announcement, described the pickup as an important technology development platform and said its legacy would continue through the Cybercab.
By Hillary Muhalya
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