After several years of work, Tesla has “finally locked” the Cybertruck’s design. Elon Musk confirmed the company’s progress in a new segment of the (outrageously long) interview with Tesla Owners Club of Silicon Valley. He also clarified the planned Cybertruck production date, which is now aimed for mid-2023 instead of just “next year.”

The Tesla Cybertruck was originally slated for 2021. But like most Tesla deadlines, a 2021 Cybertruck release was clearly a pipe dream. Supply constraints and production of other vehicles, including the Model Y, created severe delays for the futuristic truck.

Elon Musk also says that Tesla “got too carried away” with Cybertruck design changes, which led to further delays. While I’m sure that some revisions were made for style, Tesla obviously struggled to make the Cybertruck street legal. Its original design lacked wipers, side-view mirrors, a third brake light, safety-compliant turn signals, and crumple zones.

The latest Cybertruck prototype (that we’ve seen) addresses most of these shortcomings. It also looks a bit different from the original Cybertruck—clearly, the redesign process was quite an undertaking.

Musk now says that Cybertruck production will begin in mid-2023. If that’s correct, people should start receiving their orders in the late summer or fall of next year. Still, Musk tends to be a bit “optimistic” with his promises, so don’t be surprised if there’s another delay.

Source: Tesla Owners Club of Silicon Valley via Electrek