Tesla Cybertruck nets 200,000 deposits
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk says the number of deposits taken on the company’s new Cybertruck have climbed to 200,000, even after two windows unexpectedly shattered during its big reveal.
The electric-car maker has a history of unveiling future products to throngs of excited customers, taking deposits, and then delivering years later. Two years ago, Tesla showed off a Semi truck and a next-generation Roadster sports car, but neither vehicle is in production yet. This spring, Musk unveiled the Model Y crossover; that vehicle is slated to begin production next summer.
The number of orders underscores the hard-to-resist nature of announcing deposits, even when they are fully refundable and may never become actual sales.
Tesla’s reservation list has long been a source of intrigue for investors, analysts, journalists, fans and skeptics of the company, as it’s often used as a proxy for demand. Musk’s tweet breaks with the recent practice at Tesla, which has stopped giving reservation figures on its quarterly earnings calls, saying the metric wasn’t relevant.
Tesla’s website allows customers to order the truck for a fully refundable US$100, and says they can complete their configuration “as production nears in late 2021.” Musk said in a tweet Saturday that 42 per cent had ordered the dual-motor option, which starts at US$49,900, while 41 per cent have ordered the US$69,900 triple-motor option, production of which is expected to begin in 2022. Just 17 per cent ordered the single-motor version.