Tesla has issued another recall for its Cybertruck, making it the fourth since its launch late last year. However, the most interesting detail from the announcement is buried within the recall notice: the number of cyber trucks currently on the road.
On Monday, June 24, the NHTSA received a letter from Tesla confirming a recall for a faulty front windscreen wiper. The Cybertruck's single, large front wiper – the biggest ever fitted to a passenger vehicle – can malfunction due to "excessive electrical current."
Early Delivery Numbers Revealed in Recall Notice
A separate recall was also announced for the trim panel in the truck's bed. The Elon Musk-led automobile company also revealed that a total of 11,688 trucks were affected by the recall. This figure represents all Cybertrucks sold so far, including vehicles on the road and in transit to customers.
The above mentioned recall data provides valuable insight into early Cybertruck sales volumes since Tesla doesn't disclose separate sales figures for Cybertruck in its quarterly reports. Analysing the recall also provides insights into estimated monthly delivery figures.
Tesla commenced low-volume production of the Cybertruck at Giga Austin in late November last year. A prior recall notice from Tesla indicated that 1,163 vehicles were delivered in December.
This suggests that Tesla will have produced roughly 10,525 vehicles in 2024, translating to an average monthly delivery rate of approximately 1,754 cyber trucks, with five days remaining in June.
Projecting this data to the end of 2024 suggests Tesla could deliver around 23,500 Cybertrucks this year. However, during its annual shareholder meeting two weeks ago, Musk revealed that Tesla had achieved a record production of 1,300 Cybertrucks per week, with an ambitious target of hitting 2,500 vehicles by the end of 2024.
If Tesla reaches its target of 2,500 Cybertrucks per week, it could produce around 125,000 vehicles annually. This calculation considers a two-week factory shutdown period.
Overall EV Market Outlook Uncertain
However, the bigger question remains: can Tesla find enough buyers for 125,000 Cybertrucks a year, let alone 250,000? Last year, Musk boasted that demand for the Cybertruck was "through the roof." He also confirmed at the shareholder meeting that more affordable versions, beyond the top-tier Foundation Series, are on the horizon.
The overall outlook for electric vehicle demand, including popular Tesla models like the Model Y SUV, is still being determined. Musk acknowledged at the shareholder meeting that the industry is transitioning and that near-term demand and sales will likely face some challenges.
Musk said the tough market conditions in the electric vehicle industry, highlighting that competitors are also scaling back on investment and production in EVs. Tesla's second-quarter delivery figures are due early next week.
According to Bloomberg's consensus estimate (via Yahoo Finance), analysts expect around 441,000 deliveries, exceeding Q1's 386,800 but falling short of last year's Q2 figure of 466,100.
Tesla's Cybertruck, already a source of controversy, has been in the news again for negative reasons. This week, over two dozen Cybertrucks parked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were vandalised. The perpetrators spray-painted an expletive message aimed at Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.
Tesla recently faced renewed criticism from owners following a U.S. judge's decision to reinstate a lawsuit. Originally dismissed last November, the lawsuit accuses Tesla of monopolising its electric vehicle repair and parts markets.
