Tesla canceled its range extender — and it’s one of many Cybertruck promises the company hasn’t delivered.
The EV truck is also more expensive, with the cheapest version of the Cybertruck starting at $69,990.
Other features that didn’t make it into the final vehicle include crab walking and floating.
The Cybertruck has changed a lot since Elon Musk first unveiled it in 2019.
Tesla’s first pickup, which finally launched in November 2023, has had a rocky rollout, with multiple recalls and early challenges in scaling up production.
The Cybertrucks for sale right now have less range and a far higher price tag than Musk initially predicted, with the cheapest model available costing nearly $70,000, compared to the $39,900 that Musk promised.
Here are some of the Cybertruck features that Musk has talked about over the years that failed to materialize.
1. A $39,900 price tag
When Musk first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, he said the cheapest version would cost $39,900, with more advanced variants costing $49,900 and $77,000.
But that didn’t work out. In 2023, Tesla shipped a $120,000 Foundation Series version of the Cybertruck and said its cheapest model would actually cost $60,990 and would arrive in 2025. Tesla recently released its Long Range version of the Cybertruck, which has a $69,990 price tag. The Cyberbeast, its most expensive version, cost around $100,000.
The price hike disappointed many Tesla fans, and made the Cybertruck something of a status car when it first arrived. Now that the market has become more saturated and the truck has been targeted by political backlash, some consider the EV overpriced.
2. 500-mile range
Musk also said in 2019 that the most advanced tri-motor version of the Cybertruck would have a 500-mile range.
That would have made it one of the longest-range EVs on the market, but it was a promise Tesla didn’t deliver on.
The automaker advertises the $69,990 Long Range Cybertruck as having an estimated 350 miles of range, with the roughly $100,000 “Cyberbeast” clocking in at 301 miles.
Tesla previously had plans to offer a $16,000 “range extender.” The battery pack would sit in the truck bed of the vehicle and increase the vehicle’s range to over 470 miles. In October, Tesla reduced the range to 445 miles and delayed it from early to mid-2025.
In early May, Tesla canceled the product and refunded pre-orders.
3. Cyberquad
Musk ended the 2019 Cybertruck event with a surprise unveiling of the “Cyberquad,” a Tesla quad bike.
The billionaire wrote at the time on X that the Cyberquad would be a two-seater ATV that would be released at the same time as the truck.
