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Elon Musk Explains Why Tesla Can't Launch Cybertruck or Semi Yet

Tesla CEO Elon Musk explains, quite logically, why at the moment it is extremely difficult to produce new electric models, particularly the Cybertruck and the Tesla Semi.

This world is full of setbacks, no doubt. However, everything that surrounds Tesla is a source of controversy, doubts and disappointments. So much so that Elon Musk himself has had to come to the fore on social networks to explain why, at the moment, it is not easy to introduce more high-volume electric models, such as the Tesla Cybertruck and the Semi. The summary is: market problems.

Just a few days ago everyone was talking about some surprising words from the CEO of PepsiCo. These statements included the possible delivery of several units of the Tesla Semi to the American soft drink company. Obviously this information came just a few weeks after Tesla itself announced the delay in the development of its first electric truck, at least until 2023. So: how do we reconcile this conflict of information?

"Everything seemed to indicate that the language of the refreshing company had failed, but perhaps not as much as one might expect, writes Javier Gomara in Hibridos Y Electricos. This same weekend, Elon Musk has come out to comment on the statements through his favorite social network, Twitter. Responding to a simple comment, the CEO of Tesla revealed that, although a few units of the Tesla Semi may be delivered in the near future, it is extremely difficult to mass-produce a new electric model. This also refers to the Cybertruck's production, despite reports that Tesla already is sending out TXT messages and emails to Cybertruck reservation holders preparing them for deliveries.

It is no secret that the market is going through a delicate stage at the moment. The lack of components, mainly chips, has affected the automotive industry that is already very slow in production. Tesla has been one of the manufacturers that has best weathered the chip storm, but it is beginning to suffer the same problems as the rest of its rivals. This lack of chips causes attention to shift to existing models and not to future products that would cost many more resources to bring to the market.

"It is simple. Tesla wants to focus on its current range while waiting for the market to start to get back to normal. However, that has not been the only excuse scrutinized by Musk himself. While the lack of chips is a problem in the short term, in the long term the drawbacks can come from the lack of battery cells. A problem of the utmost importance and in which Tesla is already working to reverse," writes Gomara.

The lack of battery cells is not something specific or sporadic. It is estimated that during the next 10 years the market will have a limited production due to the arrival of many more electrified vehicles. Developing and producing a battery like the one in the Tesla Semi is extremely complex. The consumption of resources is very high, and once again Tesla prefers to divert those resources to the current range, to the range that is making money.

It is clear that the Tesla Semi will end up arriving at some point, like the Tesla Cybertruck, but what is also crystal clear is that in the current market situation it is not at all convenient to neglect the present range of products to produce two vehicles the neither of which will give as many results as the Model 3 or Model Y. It is a clear and logical move, and we hope that soon the light will be seen at the end of the tunnel for the production of the Cybertruck and Tesla Semi.

Update: According to a new information shared with Torque News, Tesla may have over 3 million Cybertruck orders by October 12, 2021.

Do yo agree that Model Y will make more money for Tesla than the Cybertruck? By the way, it looks like the Cybertruck may have a new beta version, reports Torque News Tesla reporter Jeremy Johnson.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.

Comments

David (not verified)    November 20, 2021 - 8:15PM

I think Tesla is holding off on trucks because if they put them out there with the same self driving features as the cars and one goes wrong it could kill quite a few before stopping due to the shear mass of trucks. If they put trucks out without the self driving features it will highlight that that feature isn't perfect yet and they are afraid too. Both reasons are associated with the self driving function not being fully ready and still having flaws.

Poophead (not verified)    November 21, 2021 - 5:18AM

I can't bring my products to market fast enough, because I am hoarding too much of my company's money. I must be the richest man on the planet!

Eddie Wilson (not verified)    November 21, 2021 - 7:30PM

Tesla is in talks with Rivian, to use their R1 platform, for their own pickup to replace the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck couldn't pass DOT regulations, and they could not use the stainless steel body and adhere to the starting price promised of $40k. Even using Rivians platform with their own composite body, it's going to have a starting price north of $80k.

Viridian Hawk (not verified)    November 22, 2021 - 8:50AM

In reply to by Eddie Wilson (not verified)

This is insane. The only company in the world to have successful scaled electric vehicle lines needs help from a company that has never done so? I'll have some of what you're smoking.

EEShane (not verified)    November 22, 2021 - 9:13AM

I think this has more to do with the fact that Lithium Ion energy density is far too low to be used as the power source for large 18 wheeler style trucks that need to pull up to 80,000lbs of cargo any meaningful distance. The physics just isn't there. Elon either needs to switch to fuel cells or find a better battery tech.

Irony (not verified)    November 23, 2021 - 6:29AM

In reply to by EEShane (not verified)

Shane gets it. Elon is no engineer he doesn't understand the stuff he advertises or if he does he lies through his teeth.
He is known to over promise.
Electric semi trucks won't be a thing until battery density is greatly increased which is not even a blip on the radar. Solid state batteries are a thing but are very expensive and just in the planning states. You also have to work out the safety of batteries since even the ones in Tesla cars are pretty dangerous when they blow.
The fact is that gasoline is still the greatest form of energy by volume for transportation.
Semi trucks are meant to haul as much stuff as possible and a current electric battery is far too large to make it viable in a semi truck.

Just another failed project from Elon like the hyperloop or his poorly thought out tunnels in Las Vegas that a simple bus system would destroy in transportation efficiency.

Too many snakeoil salesman out there. And the layman person falls for their scams because of flashy CG videos.

The only thing Elon has a track record is his Tesla cars and SpaceX both of which were not his start ups but bought out just like PayPal.
And even then he gets tons of government handouts which allows him to out price the competition and gain very advantageous contract deals.

People need to stop treating Elon like some genius God.

Another engineer (not verified)    November 24, 2021 - 6:55PM

In reply to by Irony (not verified)

You have no idea what you’re talking about my man.
1. He was a cofounder of PayPal.
2. He built SpaceX from the ground up
3. He is an engineer with decades of experience in electronics and software engineering and a background in physics.
The trucks have already been tested with the new style battery and stats are essentially verfied. Issue is they are not yet mass producing the new battery needed to bring these to market.

Bickle (not verified)    November 26, 2021 - 8:22AM

In reply to by Another engineer (not verified)

He did not cofound PayPal. He had a worthless similar company he sold to Peter Thiel called X.com. Elon con Ed him into believing they were a legit competitor, when in reality Elon’s garbage code was completely unusable. Elon was fired from the company before it was even PayPal, oh and this isn’t the only time he’s lied. He sued the actual creators of Tesla to legally designated him a founder, which he in no way was.

Elon possesses no engineering degree, ans the inly patent to his name is the proprietary latch on the Tesla “gas pump”. He knows absolutely nothing about electronics design, and his code is useless

Tesla Semi does not exist in any form that doesn’t look good on TV, just like virtually everything else he does , nor does the trucking industry want it due to the fact that it doubles the time and money to haul the same amount of cargo, because batteries are very heavy

Elon Musk is a con man. You’re in a cult.

Zane Elliot (not verified)    November 24, 2021 - 3:26PM

Musktard promised you Muskrats so many things, yet he fails to deliver, the Tesla semi is one more promise that will be broken. With current battery technology, it would not be able to carry enough energy, and be able to carry a viable load. Musktard bent you over, blew smoke up your butts, and you clapped and said, " more please"

Joeseph Wiles (not verified)    December 4, 2021 - 12:20PM

Actually the problem is not mass production with the semi. The problem is they have not developed a model with more than a few hours of battery power. The sheer weight of the batteries is the major issue as the Tesla models have outweighed your average conventional model by 10,000 pounds. They aren't efficient, weigh so much they basically can't haul any tonnage @ legal weight limits noteworthy of an average truck load. Also and you tech geeks can't absorb this, transportation companies can't afford a 50 percent increase in equipment cost with zero charging infrastructure in place. Side note, to convert every truck stop and rest area in America to electric charging and changing all power grids would cost an estimated 700trillion dollars and counting. Note, are very few grids that can handle the power load of charging 500 trucks a day/night. Imagine plugging 9.4 million nationwide a night? People need to think, this is a 25 year plan not a 2 year plan. Something else to think about, your electric bill just went from 150 a month to 1,000+ a month. Wait for it.....