The Tesla Cybertruck pickup could finally enter production in Texas this summer, CEO Elon Musk said during the automaker's fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday night.
"We do expect production to start, I don't know, maybe sometime this summer," Musk said.
"But, I always like credit downplay at the start of production, because the start of production is always very slow."
The Cybertruck prototype was first unveiled in 2019 with plans for deliveries to start in 2021, but the project was delayed several times for a variety of reasons.
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The Cybertruck will be built at Tesla's factory in Austin, Texas. (Tesla)
Tesla is now in the process of installing some of the world's largest die casting machines, which will be used to build the vehicle's stainless steel "exoskeleton" chassis, at its Austin, Texas factory.
Musk cautioned that volume production of the truck would not happen until sometime in 2024, however, so supplies will be limited for the first few months.
The Cybertruck's body is made from stainless steel. (Nic Coury/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This is in part due to the simultaneous production ramp for Tesla's new 4680 battery cell technology, which will be built at high volume in a new facility at its Nevada Gigafactory that will not be in full operation until next year.
General Motors and Ford have had similarly slow production ramps for their first electric pickukps, the GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Lightning, as their parts supply and manufacturing infrastructures are developed.
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GMC shipped just 854 Hummer EVs in 2022, while Ford delivered 15,617 F-150 Lightnings. Prices for the vehicles originally started at $110,295 and $41669 but have since been increased.
Tesla says the Cybertruck can tow up to 14,000 pounds. (Nic Coury/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Pricing and specifications for the Cybertruck are not currently known, but it had previously been advertised at starting prices of $39,900 to $69,9000, with top models capable of towing a claimed 14,000 pounds.
The truck will also be the first to use Tesla's new semi-autonomous driving computer hardware, called Hardware 4, which Musk said would make the vehicle "500% or 600%" safer than a human.
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"It's an incredible product. I can't wait to drive it personally. It will be the car that I drive every day," Musk said.