Tesla Stops Taking Orders for Cheapest Cyber Truck Model

Tesla has stopped taking orders for the least expensive version of its Cybertruck, which is priced at $61,000 (about R1,116,797), while making the $100,000 (about R1,830,690) version available for immediate order and delivery as soon as this month, its website showed.
Demand and supply for the Cybertruck are closely monitored by Tesla investors and fans because CEO Elon Musk has poured resources into the truck's development and plans to make 200,000 per year.
As recently as October last year, Musk said Tesla had one million reservations for the truck. Some customers have indicated they are waiting for less expensive versions because prices are higher and driving ranges lower than originally forecast.
"It shows demand is a lot less than a million trucks," Guidehouse Insights analyst Sam Abuelsamid told Reuters.
Cybertruck sold nearly 4,800 units in July, its best month yet and making it by far the best-selling vehicle in the US priced at more than $100,000, according to Cox Automotive.
"They have sold more than 16,000 so far, but sustained high volume at that price point will be a challenge," a Cox spokesperson said in an email.
Deliveries of the Cybertruck - which has an unconventional trapezoidal exterior design inspired by the Blade Runner movie and a stainless-steel body - began in November 2023 after years of delay and a difficult production ramp-up. Musk in 2019 had estimated the truck would cost $40,000 (about R732,276) and be able to travel 800km or more on a single charge