Tesla owners protest Cybertruck shutdown as Musk cites shift to autonomous vehicles

Elon Musk posted on X that Tesla will halt Cybertruck production at its Texas plant around the middle of next year, saying the change will free capacity for self-driving Cybercabs. The announcement sparked a wave of discontent among owners, many of whom have been waiting for the vehicle since its November 2023 rollout.

Michael Goldman, a contractor in Palm Springs and administrator of the 82,000-member Facebook group Cybertruck Owners Only, said the news left members “not happy” and that he has been fielding frantic inquiries about the future of pending orders. > “I don’t know,” Goldman told WIRED when asked what owners could expect.

Owners expressed feelings of betrayal, worrying about the availability of service, parts and aftermarket modifications. Some, like Goldman, considered buying a second Cybertruck but were deterred by a price increase of about $8,000.

Tesla enthusiast Troy Meekhof, known online as “the Cybertruck Guy,” criticized the decision as a sign of Tesla’s “unwillingness (or incompetence) to make Cybertruck a success,” questioning the lack of price cuts, advertising and range extensions. He warned that the company’s aggressive push toward autonomous vehicles could alienate customers who still value personal control of their trucks. > “Tesla has lost the plot,” Meekhof wrote on X.

The shift follows earlier cuts to the Model S and Model X, leaving the Model 3, Model Y and the upcoming Cybercab as Tesla’s only offerings. Meekhof has started a petition that has gathered more than 5,000 signatures urging the company to reconsider the Cybertruck’s removal.

Drew Million, another group member, said he hopes his second Cybertruck order placed in February will be fulfilled before production is expected to stop in June or July 2027, but he worries the brand will lose appeal without a flagship truck. > “After Cybertruck is gone, there isn’t a flagship vehicle,” he told WIRED.

Critics also noted that Tesla continues to accept orders for the premium Cyberbeast model priced at $109,990, while halting production of other versions, a move they described as “not scummy at all.”

Overall, owners are demanding a clearer explanation from Tesla, questioning whether the shutdown is driven by space constraints, weak sales, or a strategic pivot toward data collection for autonomous technology.