Tesla says it has built its first electric pickup, the Cybertruck, at its central Texas assembly plant.
The electric vehicle (EV) maker posted a photo of Gigafactory Texas workers posing with the first Cybertruck to roll off the facility’s assembly line. Although the vehicle was likely part of an effort to optimize its manufacturing processes, the announcement suggests that deliveries could begin as scheduled in the third quarter of this year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced the truck at an infamous demonstration in 2019, which included shattering a purportedly “unbreakable” window. The company had initially aimed to begin production by late 2021.
In addition to arriving nearly two years behind that schedule, Tesla has also indicated that the Cybertruck’s initial production volume would be smaller — and grow more slowly — than other new models. Volume production, Musk has said, is slated for next year.
Some critics of the vehicle’s unconventional, angular design have suggested that it will not appeal to the broader pickup market, the Associated Press noted.
Tesla previously estimated that three versions of the Cybertruck would cost between nearly $40,000 and $70,000, but those prices were later removed from the company’s pre-order website.
Image Credit: Tesla
