Cybertruck’s Troubled Run Gets a Lifeline From Upfitter
WHO:
Electrek - Unplugged Performance said it would build a three-row “CyberSUV” and an unmanned “CyberCargo” hauler, vehicles Tesla had referenced but never unveiled.
Electrek - Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer described the company’s purpose as doing “the things that Tesla maybe wants to do, but doesn’t have the bandwidth to do.”
Electrek - Unplugged Performance (UP), a Tesla aftermarket tuning company founded by Ben Schaffer, offered to take over Cybertruck production with funding from a consortium of investors.
Teslarati - Tesla and CEO Elon Musk announced that Cybertruck production would wind down; Musk said Tesla would prioritize the Cybercab.
Teslarati - Musk said Cybertruck orders exceed the production rate and that Tesla would return deposits to some customers whose trucks could not be built.
Gizmodo - Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the production wind-down; Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen demonstrated the truck’s “armored glass” at its unveiling.
Gizmodo - The article identified the Cybertruck as a symbol of far-right extremism and midlife crises, and reported that Musk became the face of far-right politics.
Gizmodo - The article named actor Ed Norton, YouTuber Joe Fay, streamer Adin Ross, and driver Matthew Alan Livelsberger in its accounts of Cybertruck-related incidents.
WHAT:
Electrek - The Cybertruck had been planned for 250,000 units a year; the article said production was running at roughly 12% of that target.
Electrek - Tesla tried a cheaper rear-wheel-drive trim, discontinued it, introduced a $60,000 all-wheel-drive version, and raised prices by $5,000 in August.
Electrek - The article said a few hundred Cybercabs were registered in Texas as of late October.
Bloomberg Markets - Bloomberg Opinion columnist Liam Denning said the Cybertruck’s short lifespan captured the effective end of Tesla’s original mission to bring electric vehicles to the masses.
Electrek - UP proposed building Cybertrucks, a three-row “CyberSUV,” and an unmanned “CyberCargo” hauler.
Electrek - UP said it would operate production “at no cost to Tesla’s floor space, headcount, or focus”; Tesla would receive a license fee and FSD and Robotaxi network revenue for each vehicle. UP also offered to let Cybercab take priority for battery cells.
Electrek - UP’s offer had received more than 240,000 views within hours; Tesla and Musk had not publicly responded when the article was written.
Electrek - Giga Texas has more than 10 million square feet of floor space, and the Cybertruck line operates at about a quarter of its installed capacity of 125,000 vehicles annually.
Electrek - Tesla delivered 8,295 vehicles classified as “Other Models” in Q3; Electrek estimated 7,000 to 8,000 were Cybertrucks.
Electrek - S&P Global Mobility data showed SpaceX purchased 1,279 Cybertrucks in Q4 2025, about 18% of U.S. registrations that quarter.
Teslarati - Musk said, “The Cybertruck order rate far exceeds our production rate,” and said Tesla would try to build as many as possible before closing the line, while returning deposits for many customers.
Teslarati - Musk said the decision was not because the Cybertruck was unprofitable, but because “the opportunity cost of the complexity of Cybertruck is vastly outweighed by the value of incremental Cybercab production.”
Teslarati - The article said Tesla was still accepting Cybertruck orders despite Musk’s statement that some orders could not be fulfilled.
Teslarati - The article said Tesla’s consumer lineup had the Model 3 and Model Y but no utility vehicle; it named the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer Pickup, Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Slate EV Truck, and Ford’s Fathom as competitors or forthcoming pickups.
Gizmodo - Electrek and Cox Automotive estimated U.S. Cybertruck sales at 14,416 in the third quarter of 2024, 3,519 in the first quarter of 2026, and 3,744 in the second quarter of 2026.
Gizmodo - The truck’s unveiling demonstration ended with its window breaking when von Holzhausen threw a steel ball at it.
Gizmodo - The article recounted recalls, a broken finger in a frunk demonstration, electronics problems after car washes or shallow-water driving, and difficulties on beaches and in water.
Gizmodo - A Cybertruck loaded with explosives was parked at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas; the driver died and seven people were wounded.
Gizmodo - Musk’s two-seater Cybercab was described as a self-certified autonomous taxi; the article said Tesla appeared likely to operate it in geofenced areas in Texas and Florida rather than sell it to consumers.
WHERE:
Gizmodo - The explosives incident occurred at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gizmodo - The article described Cybercab operations as anticipated in geofenced areas around Texas and Florida.
Gizmodo - Other incidents described took place in Malibu, California; a lake in Texas; a river in California; and on the Oregon coast.
WHEN:
Teslarati - Musk said production would wind down in mid-2027.
Teslarati - Musk said the production line would close “in about 8 months.”
Gizmodo - Musk clarified that the last Cybertrucks would roll off the line “in about eight months.”
WHY:
Teslarati - Musk said Tesla was prioritizing Cybercab production because its value outweighed the opportunity cost of Cybertruck production complexity.
Gizmodo - The article said Musk cited “opportunity cost” and a shortage of talent among explanations for discontinuing the Cybertruck.
HOW:
Electrek - UP sells Cybertruck accessories, including its Invincible lift and armor kits, and has won contracts to convert Cybertrucks into police vehicles.
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 18:02 UTC)
Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production, prioritizing its Cybercab despite orders exceeding output. A Tesla aftermarket company offered to take over production and build related vehicles. Musk said the production line would close in about eight months, with some customers refunded.
--
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 13:05 UTC)
Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production, prioritizing its autonomous Cybercab despite strong orders. Tuning company Unplugged Performance offered to take over production, proposing SUVs and cargo haulers. Musk cited production complexity; Tesla plans refunds for customers whose trucks cannot be built.
--
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 10:01 UTC)
Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production, shifting factory capacity toward its Cybercab. Musk says orders exceed production, so some customers will receive deposit refunds. He cited production complexity and opportunity cost, with the line expected to close in about eight months.