Tesla has delivered first its of its long-delayed Cybertruck electric pickup on Thursday to eager customers, an event that has been four years in the making.
In a live stream from its Texas headquarters, Elon Musk highlighted the vehicle’s utility and performance before letting the first owners drive their Cybertruck out of the plant.
Tesla revealed that pricing for the cheapest model of the Cybertruck will start at $60,990, higher than the starting price of just under $40,000 Tesla gave when it first announced the vehicle in 2019.
In addition to the cheapest rear-wheel drive model, which will not be available until 2025, an all-wheel drive version will be available for delivery in 2024, with a $79,990 price tag. The priciest version, known as the Cyberbeast, will sell for an estimated $99,990 and be available in 2024.
In top-spec form, the Cybertruck can hit from 0 to 60mph in 2.6sec and complete a standing quarter-mile in less than 11sec.
Tesla has not given a precise battery size, but claims a top-end range of 340 miles. All variants are claimed to be capable of the same 1MW (1000kW) charging speed as the Tesla Semi HGV.
Cybertruck Delivery Event https://t.co/rWd111HvHc
— Tesla (@Tesla) November 29, 2023
The Cybertruck is Tesla’s bid to move beyond sedans and SUVs to challenge the likes of Ford, Stellantis and General Motors in the pick-up market, which is rapidly shifting to electric. Musk initially unveiled the truck at a launch event in 2019 where the truck’s window was smashed by a steel ball while testing its supposedly unbreakable qualities.
Musk said recently there were more than 1 million customers on the waiting list, but he did not clarify pricing or the company’s production targets.
The Texas plant has a production goal of 250,000 Cybertrucks a year, although the company does not expect to meet that objective until at least 2025.
