CYBERTRUCK ORDERS NEAR 150,000 TWO DAYS AFTER LAUNCH
SANFRANCISCO: Tesla Inc. chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk said on Saturday the company has amassed 146,000 orders for its Cybertruck, less than 48 hours after the polarising vehicle was first shown amid shattered glass.
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.
Tesla’s website allows customers to order the electric truck for a fully refundable $100, and says they can complete their configuration “as production nears in late 2021.” Musk said in a tweet that 42% had ordered the dual-motor option, which starts at $49,900, while 41% have ordered the $69,900 triple-motor option, production of which is expected to begin in late 2022. Just 17% ordered the singlemotor version, which begins at $39,900.
The $100 deposit for the Cybertruck is far cheaper than the $1,000 that was required to reserve a Model 3 sedan. Tesla’s reservation lists have 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. But Tesla itself stopped giving reservation figures on its quarterly earnings calls, saying the metric wasn’t relevant.