The name of the event, “Cyber Rodeo,” has fueled speculation that there may be an update about Cybertruck.
Tesla originally said that the Cybertruck will start at $39,900 and be in production in late 2021. The three-motor all-wheel drive version was said to cost less than $69,900. But Tesla removed car prices, trim and specifications from its website last year, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the automaker would not deliver the Cybertruck in 2022.
A new version of Cybertruck appeared on stage during Musk’s speech. Side mirrors and more headlights have been added, but the door handles are no longer there.
“Who needs handles,” Musk said. “The car can tell you’re there and just know it needs to open.”
Musk also said that there will be a dedicated Tesla robotaxe in the future that will look “completely futuristic,” but did not reveal additional details. But with little new product news announced, previously announced vehicles such as the Tesla Semi, Cybertruck and Roadster are already facing off. Delaying, Musk focused on the company’s need for the plant itself.
“We need a place where we can be really old and there’s no place like Texas,” said Musk, wearing a black hat and sunglasses. “We’re going to go to a really massive scale. A scale that no company has ever achieved in human history.”
The event began with a light show of drones, including representations of Tesla cars.
Sofian Fraval, a Tesla enthusiast based in San Luis Obispo, California, left his home two days earlier at 4:20 p.m. — a common number in Tesla culture — to begin the 30-hour trip to Austin.
“I always want to see what’s newer and better,” Fraval said in an interview with CNN Business. “It’s a mystery, we don’t know all the details of the event. But we want to be there to hear it first from the source.”
“Infuriatingly humble analyst. Bacon maven. Proud food specialist. Certified reader. Avid writer. Zombie advocate. Incurable problem solver.”
