Tesla Cybertruck Reaches Release Candidate Production, Tesla Talks Key Specifications

Two years later than initially announced, the Cybertruck is finally in production at Giga Texas. It will take a while before the first customers can take it home, but most of the challenges have been put behind. As we've learned from previous leaks and people who followed the Cybertruck's development, the pickup is in the final testing phase now, while the first release candidate truck has already rolled off the production line at Giga Texas.

Tesla is now testing the Cybertruck around the world for final certification and validation, as it wrote in the Shareholder Deck. The document also features new pictures from the production line and testing sessions. At Giga Texas, we see the "RC # 1" on a Cybertruck frame, revealing the final production form of the electric pickup. This looks exactly like the recent leaks, but there's another detail in the picture that caught our attention, and that is the missing floor. This confirms that the Cybertruck will use a structural battery pack, as predicted.

Tesla confirmed that the Cybertruck would use second-generation 4680 cells, which offer 10% more energy density than the current crop. Tesla calls them "Cybercells," hinting they will be unique to the Cybertruck. The cell manufacturing process at Giga Texas has also been improved, leading to better yields and a 25% reduction in costs.

In another spectacular picture, we also see the Cybertruck going through a mud pit. This is even more revealing, considering that it's the best picture we have showing the Gigawiper in action. It doesn't look like it's doing a great job, with one-third of the windshield real estate still covered in mud, while the rest is not very clean either. This shows that Tesla needs to return to the drawing board with the pickup's wiper. Adding another one on the passenger's side could be the easiest solution.

Tesla claims the Cybertruck will be "the first sub-19 ft. truck (fitting into a garage) that has both four doors and 6+ ft. bed." As some pointed out, this is not the case, with the Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed also fitting the description. There may be others, although this is less important now that the initial production is within sight. Elon Musk confirmed that deliveries will start as planned "later this year."

Tesla's CEO also answered a question about demand, saying that it's "so far off the hook, you can’t even see the hook." Musk emphasized the new technologies used in the Cybertruck, which might prevent ramping up production as fast as Tesla would want. There are about 10,000 parts and processes unique to the Cybertruck, and any one of them can grind the production line to a halt if it's poorly executed. That's why predicting the ramp-up is difficult at this stage. However, Musk was confident that Tesla now has more experience doing this.