Tesla will not release any new models until at least 2023, as the company focuses its efforts on resolving the supply chain crisis and expanding its worldwide production capacity. The announcement came from the top brass during a the company’s 2021 earnings call. As a result of the decision, the long-awaited Roadster sports car – whose premiere has already been delayed multiple times – and the novel Cybertruck pick-up will not be produced this year, as previously predicted.
“If we were to introduce new vehicles, our total vehicle output would decrease,” CEO Elon Musk said during the aforementioned call, which came as Tesla reported a near doubling of vehicle deliveries as demand for its Model 3 and Model Y soared. “We will not be introducing new vehicles this year,” Musk confirmed.
Musk stated that launching a new car in 2021 “wouldn’t have boosted output,” highlighting the fact that the additional resources required to launch a new model would limit the company’s ability to produce others at full capacity. He did state that the company will start developing tooling for the Cybertruck and Roadster in 2022, with the goal of launching them “maybe next year.”
Tesla has removed references to a 2022 launch date from the Cybertruck’s online order page, but it is still accepting fully refundable deposits from prospective clients and claims that they will be able to customize their vehicle “as production nears.” Musk’s comments also lower expectations for Tesla’s long-awaited ‘sub-$25,000’ electric hatchback, which was set to debut in 2022 or 2023 as a self-driving competitor to the Volkswagen ID.3 in the C-segment.
When asked about the status of this entry-level model, Musk said: “We’re not working on the $25,000 car right now. We already have far too much on our plates.” Following a year in which it achieved record vehicle deliveries despite output being limited by the supply chain crisis, Tesla will instead focus on scaling up production capacity at its California, Texas, Shanghai, and (eventually) Berlin vehicle factories during 2022.
