A crowdsourced reservation tracker shows that Tesla has a waitlist of over 1,000,000 Cybertruck orders, Drive Tesla Canada has reported. Wow! The article noted that reservations for the Cybertruck were being placed every two seconds during the weeks after its launch. Although it has slowed down, Tesla’s waitlist of over a million Cybertruck reservations reveals just how deep the demand for the well-engineered vehicle truly is.* I’m in that number, by the way.

The reservation tracker also keeps track of Cybertruck reservations by trim options, and when added all up, if the reservations turned into orders, Tesla would have more than $63 billion in revenue coming its way over the next few years. Yes, you read that right — that’s billion with a B.

It should be noted that these numbers can change and Drive Tesla Canada pointed out that they are probably overinflated due to people placing multiple reservations. Many could be canceled once production and deliveries begin. There’s one person in Florida with 300 Cybertrucks in his account. Unless he owns a business that involves operating a fleet of vehicles (he could very well be such a business owner), it stands to reason that he may cancel some of those orders.

The article assumed a cancellation rate of 50% and noted that if that many people were to cancel their orders, Tesla would still have 500,000 orders for the Cybertruck, which is over $30 billion in revenue.

The article also gives you a way to see where you stand in line for your Cybertruck. Take your reservation number and subtract 112744100.

Tesla won't sit by the wayside as electric trucks like the Hummer EV and Rivian R1T lure customers with special features. Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla is adding rear-wheel steering to the Cybertruck to help the EV maneuver with "high agility." It's a rough answer to the Hummer's "Crab Mode" and R1T's tank turns, in other words. You might not have much trouble with a tight U-turn or tricky off-road scenario.

Musk also reiterated that the Cybertruck's design will be "almost exactly" what you saw at the introduction in November 2019, although he teased that there were many "other great things" in the pipeline. The pickup is still due to enter production in late 2021.

​​​​​​​Rear-wheel steering may be virtually necessary. The Cybertruck is large even by truck standards — it might be a tough sell if it's difficult to steer out of a parking lot. Moreover, rivals like GMC, Rivian and Ford are all launching electric trucks that might match or sometimes beat Tesla's feature set. The category has changed since the Cybertruck introduction, and Tesla risks losing some business if it doesn't update its technology.

The Cybertruck, the Tesla electric pickup truck that has divided opinions, sparked memes and has already revolutionized the auto industry without even existing beyond the prototype stage, is supposed to go into production later this year. Once the final prototype or the production version is shown, the wheels will start spinning on the first-ever Cybertruck overlander, the CyberLandr.

The CyberLandr, despite the vehicle base, its name and its direct dependence on the Tesla e-truck, is not related to Tesla. It is actually the first product from startup Stream It, Inc., which was initially based in Las Vegas but has now conveniently relocated to Austin, Texas (i.e. the home of the CyberTruck).

It is touted as the most revolutionary RV ever created, smart and adaptable, versatile and very comfortable, the perfect vacation vehicle, moving office, or even permanent residence slash getaway vehicle in case of natural disasters. That last part includes zombie attacks, which is just fitting for an overlander meant for the equally zombie-ready Cybertruck.

We spoke about the CyberLandr at length in early April this year, when it was launched. Just to be clear, the CyberLandr doesn’t exist yet, but that is to be expected. Since it’s meant for a product that’s still to formalize final dimensions and design elements, its exact specs depend on it. It does, however, take reservations – and Stream It is reporting astounding demand. More precisely, just three weeks after launch, the CyberLandr had $50 million worth of pre-orders, including all the available special-price reservations (a $5,000 down payment to get it at $39,995) that had sold out. Those who did not or won’t place a pre-order will be able to get the overlander at a starting price of $49,995.

So what exactly is this CyberLandr? It’s the dream RV, in short. It’s smart, compact when closed because it hides in the Cybertruck vault under the electric tonneau, but spacious when deployed, offering sleeping for two adults and two children. It has a full kitchenette and a living space that can be anything you need it to be, from moving office to living room, bedroom or recreation room. It also has a spa-like bathroom.

More importantly, everything inside is controlled in the app, allowing for easier maintenance and cost control. “In much the same way that Teslas are software-defined cars, CyberLandr is the first software-defined RV,” Stream It says. “This means that instead of a wall covered with control panels for water tanks, pumps, battery status, solar panels (each with its own user interface), there is an app for your smartphone to consolidate and simplify these functions. But it doesn’t stop there, the app can also be used to control the lights, window dimming, view the video surveillance cameras, and much more.”

Not least of all, the CyberLander is, as of earlier this month, Elon-approved. The Tesla CEO is very active on social media, so much so that, sometimes, some things he posts there slip between the cracks. This is one of those times: shown a video of the CyberLandr opening up into a full-blown off-road residence that’s completely self-sufficient, Musk responded with just four letters: “Cool.” And these four letters can end up making all the difference.

As noted above, the CyberLandr has already proven a success, if the number of reported pre-orders are any indication. The promise of a perfect RV, which blends the versatility of an off-road vacation vehicle with the functionality of a permanent residence that’s also self-sufficient, is far too alluring for many to resist. The Cybertruck itself is that, so the mere association would have helped the CyberLandr. The fact that it has such impressive specs only adds to the appeal.

Now that Elon is seemingly “cool” with the idea, expect interest to grow even bigger. That is the power of Elon: the power to bring down one cryptocurrency and elevate another, to sick a legion of angry supporters on “haters” and critics, or to substitute for an entire PR department. All in the space of just one tweet. In this particular case, he does it in just four letters, bringing the product one step closer to actually making it into production.

“Cool.”

Tesla’s timeline for its Cybertruck is proving even more tentative than before. Production of the Cybertruck has been delayed again, and Tesla executives confirmed during the company’s latest earnings call that pickup production will start only after that of the Model Y at its Austin, Texas plant.

The Model Y’s production is obviously more important for now, what with Tesla’s lucrative quarter, which means that the company’s 2021 deadline for getting the Cybertruck to drivers will probably come and go. Whether you call it a delay or not, the point is the Cybertruck is not likely to begin scale production in 2021, according to the company:
“Ramping production,” as Musk referred to it during the investor call, is difficult as it is, even without the supply-chain woes the whole industry is undergoing.

Musk, more or less, seemed pleased with the progress the company has made and he said that despite the delays and shortages, the company is moving at a good pace:

During the earnings call, Musk also addressed one possible solution to the chip shortage being Tesla’s in-house chip production. If Tesla did it with their batteries, why not their semiconductors?

Musk said that even if the company pivoted some production capacity, it would still be a while before that yielded anything useful:

​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​So, no, in-house production is not all that and a vat of chips, Cybertruck fans.

The only thing left to do now is hurry up and wait. But look at the bright side. Maybe by the time the Cybertruck’s production actually scales, in, say, a year or so, buyers might be able to pay for their EV pickups using cryptocurrencies.

Elon Musk gives an update on the Tesla Cybertruck timeline

The new question has been when in 2022 (and if) Tesla can start deliveries.

As we reported earlier today, Elon Musk held a company-wide call with Tesla employees.

He gave an update on the upcoming new $25,000 Tesla electric car and commented on Tesla having to go through a crazy end-of-the-quarter delivery wave.

According to sources on the call who talked to Electrek, the CEO also gave an update on Tesla’s production plans for the Cybertruck.

Musk confirmed that Tesla doesn’t expect to start Cybertruck production until the end of 2022.

Furthermore, the CEO noted that there’s so much new technology in the electric pickup truck that the production ramp-up is going to be very difficult.

He doesn’t expect volume production to be achieved until late 2023.

But Musk couldn’t leave it on a bad note of a delay and he still took the opportunity to hype up the upcoming Cybertruck:
“It will be a special project. Like a glitch in the Matrix. Like if Neo had a car.”
We are just going to have to wait a little longer for this particular glitch in the Matrix.

When the Tesla Cybertruck was revealed way back in 2019, we half jokingly said that we were "struggling to believe that the whole thing wasn't one big joke." Of course it wasn't, but the design was, and remains, so polarizing and different from anything else that we couldn't quite wrap our heads around it. Needless to say, the lack of side mirrors, though noteworthy, wasn't even close to the most surprising design decision.

A recent video shot in California showed a Cybertruck prototype testing at low speeds, and though it's very grainy, it's clear that this version has side mirrors whereas the original concept eschewed them for cameras. This detail has caught the attention of some would-be owners, one of which took to Twitter to express his disappointment. And, as he is wont to do, Tesla chief Elon Musk took the time to reply.



Musk explained that the side mirrors are required by law, which is true. While digital systems are gaining popularity and many automakers now equip their vehicles with all manner of different views generated by cameras mounted to their exteriors, old-fashioned mirrors are still required by U.S. safety regulators. That's why Musk's further explanation that the Cybertruck's mirrors are "designed to be easy to remove by owners" is surprising.

Granted, vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco also have bits and pieces designed to be removable by owners while driving off the beaten path, including their tops, doors, and in some cases the mirrors. Unlike Musk's Twitter response, however, nobody at Jeep or Ford are hinting to owners that they should just remove those mirrors and leave them off while driving on the road.

Unlike many upcoming electric vehicles, we haven't seen much in the way of Tesla Cybertruck test prototypes. But that may be changing. A YouTube user was recently flying a camera drone at a Tesla facility and got some excellent footage, also shared by Electrek, of the low-poly pickup truck out testing. And it's not the show car, as there are a number of tweaks and features visible that are clearly for the production model.The one detail that really grabbed us was that mega-sized windshield wiper arm. It's the length of the very large windshield, plus it's just the one single wiper that clearly swings in an arc from corner to corner via the mount in the windshield's lower corner. Close inspection seems to show the arm comprises two individual blades, which is likely done to use existing size blades that are more easily replaced. Also, because the shape of the truck is so close to the show model, down to the glass being flush with the hood, the wiper arm sticks out a bit strangely against the otherwise nearly seamless surface.

Also making an appearance are the side mirrors, which were previously seen in another video of a test truck. They look simple and utilitarian, which isn't necessarily a bad thing on a truck. Lighting seems very similar to the show vehicle, though only the concealed lower headlights and the tiny rear taillights were illuminated. Between those headlights are three orange marker lights. These seem to indicate the Cybertruck will be similar in width to trucks like the F-150 Raptor, Ram 1500 TRX and GMC Hummer EV, all of which also have those lights because of federal law requiring wide trucks to have them.

More subtle changes are visible in the fender flares, bumpers and side skirts. The flares seem a bit thicker than before, and they blend better with the bumpers and side skirts. The front bumper also seems to have some air dam added, which is noticeable in the small extensions ahead of the front wheels. This is undoubtedly to improve aerodynamics for more usable range. We also were able to make out cameras in the windshield and B-pillars like other Tesla models, which are there for advanced driver aid systems. Finally, the bed seems to have some cut lines for a panel that likely opens up to a trunk, similar to the Honda Ridgeline and Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Tesla says the Cybertruck will enter production in 2022. When it was first announced, Tesla said it would be available with one, two or three motors and ranges between 250 and 500 miles. Since then, Tesla boss Elon Musk said a four-motor version will be offered along with rear-wheel steering.