Tesla Ramps Up Cybertruck Production, Hundreds of Trucks Spotted at Giga Texas

Tesla has amassed more than one million reservations for the Cybertruck, making the electric pickup one of the most desired car models in history. This puts reservation holders on a very long waiting list that could take years to clear. To make things even more complicated, Tesla is yet to start filling these orders. So far, most Cybertrucks have been delivered to Tesla employees, celebrities, and influencers. Only recently has Tesla invited regular customers to order a Foundation Series Cybertruck.

This is still not the same as selling the Cybertrucks to common reservation holders. Foundation Series is $20,000 more expensive than regular models, so not everyone is willing to buy one. It's unclear how long it will take Tesla to stop hiking the Cybertruck prices and offer the Cybertruck AWD at $79,990 and the Cyberbeast at $99,990 list prices. Asked about the production ramp-up during the Q4 2023 earnings call, Elon Musk has avoided a straight answer.

Granted, many things can affect Cybertruck's production capacity. Tesla's electric pickup features many untested technologies, and several weak links could grind the production line to a halt. If things need to be re-engineered or supply shortages affect certain components, the Cybertruck could remain a low-volume model for a long time.

Thankfully, production ramp-up at Giga Texas seems to be progressing according to plan. Tesla has kept radio silence about this, without its usual production milestone bravado. However, it won't be long before it will have to offer investors guidance about this. At the latest, this should happen in mid-April during the Q1 2024 earnings call. Until then, the only estimates we get are from what we see with our own eyes. And, I must say, I really like what I see.

Unlike other carmakers, Tesla and its operations are closely watched by fans and enthusiasts. Giga Texas, especially, has been under tight surveillance by drone operators on a quest to decipher what's going on with the Cybertruck. A recent drone flyover by longtime Tesla watcher Jeff Roberts reveals that the Cybertruck production is going quite well. The electric pickups were scattered in several areas of the Giga Texas premises, some estimating about 300 units at the time of Robert's flyover.

This is easily the highest number of Cybertrucks recorded during a single flight, showing that production pace has caught speed. This is good news, indicating that 4680 cell production is also in full swing. Although Tesla denied it, the 4680 cell production has been a bottleneck for much of 2023. This achievement should shorten the gap between Giga Texas production capacity of 125,000 Cybertrucks per year and the actual production pace.