As summer approaches, everyone who’s a Tesla fan – or simply an EV enthusiast – is waiting to see the electric pickup truck finally entering production.
You may recall that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last year that initial production of the Cybertruck would start in mid-2023 at Gigafactory Texas, followed by volume production in early 2024.
However, in Tesla's Q1 2023 shareholder deck document released last month, the company said the Cybertruck "remains on track to begin production later this year at Gigafactory Texas" instead of mid-2023.
Whether or not initial production starts this summer, the truth is the Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted testing more frequently than ever before in recent months. The latest sighting involves a prototype of Tesla's electric truck that was seen driving in Texas over the weekend, marking the first time a Cybertruck is filmed driving on public roads in the Lone Star State.
Last week, a Tesla Cybertruck was also spotted at the groundbreaking of the company's new lithium refinery near Corpus Christi in Texas – and later seemingly stuck in a field – but this fresh sighting appears to involve a different prototype.
We say that because the Twitter video from Dennis B shared by Sawyer Merritt does not feature the black tool rack that the Cybertruck had at last week's event. Drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer chimed in the comments and confirmed the sighting took place in Texas, more specifically on River Road, which is on Giga Texas property, southwest side of SH-130.
The pickup looks just like the Cybertruck prototypes we saw earlier this month testing at the Fremont track or in late April driving on Fremont streets. Cybertruck sightings have been mostly concentrated in northern California, in Fremont and Palo Alto, where Tesla has its first factory and engineering headquarters, respectively.
The latest sighting in Texas likely means that Tesla is stepping up the testing program for the Cybertruck ahead of the start of initial production in Austin. The fact testing is now expanding closer to where the vehicle will actually be built is a good sign.
Elon Musk said on the Q1 2023 earnings call that the first Tesla Cybertruck deliveries will take place during a dedicated handover event later this year. He estimated that the event will be held toward "the end of the third quarter," which likely means the first Cybertruck deliveries will take place around September 2023. This suggests initial production remains on track for this summer.
