Tesla has started production of its electric pickup “Cybertruck” almost four years after the presentation. The company, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, announced the construction of the first vehicle in a tweet over the weekend. However, mass production is not expected until next year.
Pickups are the most popular vehicle category in the US market. So far, it has been dominated by models with combustion engines such as Ford’s best-selling F-150. Since Tesla introduced the “Cybertruck” in November 2019, competitors have brought several electric pickups onto the market. Vehicles such as Ford’s F-150 “Lightning”, the Hummer EV from General Motors or the R1T model from the start-up Rivian have only been sold in small numbers so far.
While the competition’s cars look like classic pickups, Tesla’s “Cybertruck” is going for a futuristic, angular look. The body is made of stainless steel, which makes production more complex. In a photo in the tweet, the first vehicle built was largely hidden by the workers gathered around it, so it was not possible to see whether its appearance differed from the previously known prototypes.
