Musk Says Tesla Will Have to Refund Many Cybertruck Deposits as Orders Outrun Production

Tesla will have to refund Cybertruck deposits for many customers because orders far exceed production capacity, CEO Elon Musk said on November 9, days after announcing the electric pickup will be wound down at Gigafactory Texas. “We will try to make as many as possible before shutting down the line in about 8 months, but will have to return deposits for a lot of people,” Musk wrote in a post on X, according to Reuters.

The comments follow Musk’s announcement last week that Cybertruck production will end around mid-2027 so the factory space can be used to expand output of the Cybercab robotaxi. Tesla has said it will add an extra production shift to fulfil as many outstanding orders as possible before the line is dismantled, but Musk’s latest post is the clearest admission yet that the backlog cannot be cleared in time.

Tesla began delivering the Cybertruck in late 2023, but demand has fallen far short of Musk’s expectations. US sales fell 48% to 20,237 units last year, according to Kelley Blue Book, and Tesla has just raised Cybertruck prices in the US by up to 9%, with the Premium AWD now starting at $92,490, while pausing new orders for the entry-level Dual Motor version.

Tesla required a $100 refundable deposit to hold a Cybertruck reservation. The company has not published a refund schedule, a priority list, or a method for deciding which reservation holders keep their place in line. For holders still waiting, the practical question is now whether their truck gets built in the next eight months — or whether the $100 simply comes back.