Tesla closed out 2021 with a bumper yr, besting Q4 estimates and pushing EV deliveries beyond 300,000, aleven though Elon Musk tempered hopes for the appearance of the Cybertruck and greater less expensive fashions. Revenue withinside the yr as an entire grew 71%, Tesla introduced, describing 2021 as “a leap forward yr” for the automaker, however a number of the maximum expected electric powered cars are nevertheless a few manner out.
No Tesla Cybertruck till 2023
The maximum conspicuous venture that Tesla has underway is absolutely the Cybertruck. The oddly-formed all-electric powered pickup proved debatable while Elon Musk first found out it, and glimpses of improvement prototypes withinside the intervening years haven’t dimmed its capacity to polarize opinion. Undoubtedly the maximum frequently-requested question, however, is while Tesla surely may positioned the Cybertruck into manufacturing.
Tesla’s investor deck maintains with the same, indistinct timeline as has been said in preceding releases. “We are making development at the industrialization of Cybertruck, that’s presently deliberate for Austin manufacturing next to Model Y,” the automaker says.
Speaking at the investor call, however, Musk showed that the Cybertruck wouldn’t cross into manufacturing this yr. The number one cognizance for Tesla, the CEO explained, might be ramping manufacturing of its current fashions, just like the famous Model three and Model Y. They’re nevertheless in sturdy demand, with orders for a few configurations of Model Y now no longer predicted to be brought till August 2022.
For the Cybertruck, there are nevertheless technological hurdles to be labored through, Musk admitted. The automaker is likewise nevertheless looking to parent out the way to make it less expensive: there has been vast marvel while Tesla introduced the widespread electric powered pickup might have a beginning fee of around $40,000 while it started out taking reservations in past due 2019. For the moment, Musk stated, the desire is that manufacturing can start someday in 2023.
Don’t anticipate the Tesla Roadster any time soon, either
What is going for the Cybertruck, additionally is going for Tesla’s rebooted Roadster. Also the spur of no scarcity of reservation deposits – or the full $250,000 apiece earlier for the ones looking one of the first 1,000 “Founder’s Series” vehicles – the Roadster become at the start supposed to enter manufacturing in mid to past due 2021. That become behind schedule to 2022, after which to 2023.
The precise information is that it’s nevertheless, apparently, on course for that timescale, aleven though as Tesla feels the effect of the deliver chain troubles affecting the complete car enterprise that would nevertheless extrade withinside the meantime. Chip constraints have been name-checked through Musk as being a number one bottleneck for 2021 manufacturing of its vehicles, arguing that if Tesla attempted to introduce new fashions in 2022 it’d handiest have the general effect of reducing overall manufacturing output. The want to assign assets to new fashions might do away with from the capacity to construct vehicles just like the Model three and Model Y, he pointed out.
Engineering and tooling-up for the approaching Tesla fashions may also nevertheless start in 2022. However they won’t cross into manufacturing till 2023 on the earliest.
The $25,000 Tesla isn’t happening
Though Tesla hasn’t been laid low with the “marketplace adjustments” which have visible sellers of different manufacturers upload hundreds or maybe tens of hundreds to the decal fee of a brand new vehicle, it’s clean that the EV-maker remains targeted at the trims with the most important earnings margins. Despite preceding chatter of a $25,000 Tesla that would undercut even the maximum less expensive Model three, Musk says that’s certainly now no longer at the cards.
“We have an excessive amount of on our plate,” the CEO stated at some stage in the investor call.
The truth is, at the same time as Tesla has been noticeably properly positioned for coping with the deliver chain crunch – which includes making admirable use of current chip components through reprogramming its software program to suit – like maximum vehicle groups it can’t construct as many because it would really like to. Focusing on maximizing the go back on every automobile is the inevitable result, now no longer handiest through prioritizing the greater highly-priced configurations, however on post-sale software program improvements too. Indeed, “over time, we anticipate our hardware-associated earnings to be observed with an acceleration of software program-associated earnings,” the investor deck factors out.