What happened to the promised delivery by the end of September? Tesla's Cybertruck pickup is being delayed again?

Wallstreetcn
2023.09.07 07:27
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Musk made a last-minute request for the appearance of the Cybertruck, demanding that "design and manufacturing errors" be reduced to below 10 micrometers, which is simply a "pipe dream" for mass production.

After years of delays, Tesla's highly anticipated electric pickup truck, the Cybertruck, is finally set to begin deliveries. Elon Musk recently stated that the first batch of trucks is expected to be delivered at an event in late September.

However, there are indications that this futuristic electric pickup truck may once again be delayed, as Musk has made last-minute demands regarding the design of the Cybertruck.

In an internal email leaked last month, Musk requested that the "design and manufacturing errors" of the Cybertruck be reduced to below 10 microns. Manufacturing experts say that achieving such precision is nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye, especially during mass production.

Sam Fiorani, Vice President of Global Vehicle Forecasting at Auto Forecast Solutions, said, "From the beginning, you have to design a product that is close to micron-level precision. It's a more interesting puzzle than just telling people, 'You have to be good at putting them together.'"

Fiorani believes that Musk's last-minute demand indicates that the CEO is frustrated with the "comparisons" and early criticisms faced by the Cybertruck and wants to learn from past mistakes. He also suggests that this may result in smaller initial production volumes than initially promised.

The object of these "comparisons" is likely the Ford electric pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning. In mid-July, Ford significantly reduced the price of this popular electric truck, with the base model's price dropping by nearly 17%.

According to Tesla's second-quarter earnings report, the Cybertruck is less than 19 feet long (about 5.8 meters), with a cargo bed length exceeding 6 feet (about 1.83 meters), making it shorter than the F-150 Lightning.

Tesla also stated that although the "production tools" for the Cybertruck are already online, the company is currently only producing "release candidate" versions. Musk previously mentioned that Tesla plans to start volume production of the Cybertruck next year, with deliveries commencing later this year. He also mentioned that the Cybertruck will feature a significant amount of technology and that production volumes are difficult to predict.

According to media reports, some owners are concerned about the lack of details Tesla has shared about the Cybertruck. With just a few weeks remaining from the official unveiling, owners still don't know how much they will have to pay for the truck or how big it will be.