Tesla is planning to deliver 375k units of the Cybertruck annually
MatthewDR/Twitter
Tesla is now on track to fulfill its commitment to deliver the much-anticipated Cybertruck. According to recent reports by Electrek, the company has shared its production targets and prototype timing with its suppliers, instilling confidence that deliveries will commence by the end of the third quarter in 2023.
From Delayed Launch to Steady Progress
In its communication with suppliers, Tesla revealed a plan to build a staggering 375,000 units of Cybertrucks annually. This figure is a significant leap from Musk's estimate of around 250,000 units per year. However, it's important to note that Tesla will likely reach this production milestone in 2024, once production has ramped up.
Tesla first pulled the covers off the Cybertruck in 2019, with original plans to hit the market in 2021. However, the global pandemic and supply chain disruptions led to multiple postponements. Despite these setbacks, recent updates from CEO Elon Musk show a good progression toward mass production of this futuristic pickup truck.
The Importance of Release Candidates
As per the internal timeline, the first release candidates for the Cybertruck, which are near-final vehicle versions, are slated for August 2023. These candidates represent the last development stage before mass production begins. This critical milestone aligns well with the projected delivery event scheduled for September.
Despite these updates, 1.5 million reservation holders still don't know about the final specs and pricing of the Cybertruck. According to Musk, these details will only be disclosed during the upcoming delivery event.
Tesla's Challenges and Ambitions
From engineering to design, the Cybertruck has been one of the most challenging vehicles for Tesla. Yet, the company's aggressive annual production target reflects its strong ambition to penetrate the electric pickup truck market. As the Cybertruck moves from prototype to production, Tesla is clearly in the driver's seat to revolutionize this segment.
In the recent Investor Day, the latest Cybertruck prototypes were spotted with new features, including a yoke steering wheel design. These design modifications, validated by Musk and Tesla's Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen, provide further evidence that production is imminent.
In the face of high anticipation and industry scrutiny, Tesla is pushing full steam ahead with its Cybertruck program, "Project Everest." The production target of 375,000 units and the expected arrival of release candidates this August paint a promising picture for Tesla's entry into the electric pickup market. With Tesla's record of transforming the EV space, the Cybertruck's launch will undoubtedly be a landmark event in automotive history.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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