NEXT STAGE: New in 2023

The electric vehicle maker’s most anticipated vehicle launch since the Model Y in 2020 is expected as early as September, 2023.

Tesla has teased a Cybertruck delivery event at its Austin, Texas, plant but has not given a date. Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted a picture of himself Aug. 23, 2023, on social media driving the latest Cybertruck “production candidate.” Tesla has said volume deliveries will come next year after the factory ramps up production.

Musk said in May that annual demand for the pickup could be anywhere from 250,000 vehicles to half a million.

The biggest question remaining about the wildly styled truck is price. When first presented in 2019, Musk said it would start at $39,900 excluding shipping. But he has since suggested the base price will be higher. Asked by a fan on X (formerly Twitter) last month, Musk said: “While I think it is our best product ever, it is an extremely difficult product to build. We are in uncharted territory.” Tesla’s most inexpensive vehicle, the base Model 3 rear-wheel drive, starts at $41,880 including shipping.

The Cybertruck will have all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering and stainless steel exterior body panels. Musk has also promised up to 500 miles of range on a single charge, suggesting a massive battery pack on the top trim. No major updates are expected to the Cybertruck this decade beyond software updates and component changes such as the internal computer.