It took Tesla a few years to get the Cybertruck out the door, but when it did, the long-promised affordable models weren’t part of the deal. That’s changing, though only slightly, as the automaker has opened the order books for a more “affordable” Cybertruck variant starting at around $80,000.
Looking at Tesla’s Cybertruck configuration site, only the most expensive trims appear, but current reservation holders have started receiving emails with invitations to order the lesser, non-Foundation model trim. The automaker expects deliveries to comments in the next few weeks, so the wait is much shorter than it was for early orders. As a note, the roughly $80,000 price is for the non-Foundation AWD models.
The reduced starting price could make the truck eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but reservation holders did not see any note of such a benefit in the emails. We don’t know if the truck would qualify for the credits, though, because Tesla hasn’t detailed where the batteries come from and doesn’t have a PR department to ask.
Tesla initially promised prices that started at under $40,000, but they have hovered at more than twice that number since the truck’s molasses-speed rollout. The Cybertruck has also been wrapped up in recalls, and there’s no shortage of disappointed owners on the internet, crowing about trim pieces falling out, the frame crinkling during towing, and more.
[Images: Tesla]
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