Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Nov. 21, 2019, unveiled the electric brand’s attempt at a pickup truck.
Among the features that Musk boasted about his polygon-shaped pickup included “bulletproof” glass, up to 500 miles of range, and towing capabilities similar to a gas-powered pickup truck.
However, the kicker was that Tesla offered all this for a starting price of just $39,900 for a standard, rear-wheel drive model with 250 miles of electric range.
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When Tesla held its Cybertruck delivery event in November 2023, the prices on its website increased, with the standard model now costing a whopping $60,990.
However, a new pricing change that Elon Musk’s EV automaker has silently updated will have Tesla fans reaching deeper into their pockets for a chance at getting behind the wheel or yoke of a shiny, new Cybertruck.
A Tesla Cybertruck and a Tesla Model Y wait at a stoplight on 7th Avenue in New York City.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Tesla Cybertruck’s Cyber-gouging
As per a recent report by Jalopnik, Tesla made a silent update to their website that reflects some major pricing changes for the Cybertruck.
The $60,990 rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is no more. Prospective Cybertruck buyers will have to shell out $99,990 for the all-wheel drive model or $119,990 for the high-performance “Cyberbeast” model.
According to an archived version of the Tesla website captured on August 5, 2024, the all-wheel drive was previously priced at $79,990 and the Cyberbeast was priced at $99,990.
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Pricing changes and trim level choices were not the only edits that were reflected on Tesla’s website.
The automaker now claims that customers seeking Cybertrucks can get behind the wheel of their new trucks as soon as August 2024 for the All-Wheel Drive model and as soon as October 2024 for the top-of-the-line Cyberbeast model.
Previously, the only way to skip the line was to buy one on the ballooning used market or be one of the lucky Cybertruck reservation holders to configure and order what Tesla calls the “Foundation Series” Cybertrucks.
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According to Tesla, these special Cybertrucks set buyers back $120,000 and came “fully optioned,” along with additional extras including “limited-edition laser-etched badging, premium accessories, charging equipment with Powershare home backup hardware, all-terrain tires, Full-Self Driving capability, and more.”
In March, Tesla made an attempt to move Cybertrucks with a program it called the “Early Cybertruck Delivery for Long-Term TSLA Shareholders,” where significant shareholders could skip the Cybertruck line and get priority delivery.
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Tesla’s Cybertrucks are Cyber-piling-up
Tesla does not disclose much information when it comes to individual model production. Still, the latest information shows that in the second quarter of 2024, Tesla made 24,255 cars that were not Model 3’s or Model Y’s.
During Tesla’s Annual Stockholder Meeting in June 2024, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company reached a production capacity of 1,300 Cybertrucks a week and aims to bump that number up to 2,500 Cybertrucks by the end of 2024.
But no matter how much they seem to make or not make, there is one place they do go: empty, unattended lots around the country.
CTRL+C, CTRL+V pic.twitter.com/jlHXDVkYem
— Zerin Dube (@SpeedSportLife) August 11, 2024
A recent report by The Autopian shows that demand for the trucks has cooled as pictures from around the country show unsold Cybertrucks piled up by the dozen in empty lots.
X (formerly known as Twitter) user Zerin Dube, or @SpeedSportLife, captured dozens of unsold Cybertrucks in an empty field near a Tesla delivery center in Houston.
“Every time I drive by there’s more and more CyberTrucks piling up,” Dube said in another post on X. “Some have grass growing up the tires lol.”
Tesla, which trades on the Nasdaq as TSLA, is down 1.25% today, closing at $197.49 at the time of writing.
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