Musk says Tesla will refund many Cybertruck deposits as line winds down
- Elon Musk said on Monday that Tesla will refund Cybertruck deposits to a lot of its customers.
- This is because orders outpace what the Austin plant can build before the line closes in about eight months, around mid-2027.
- It signals Tesla is reallocating factory space to its Cybercab robotaxi while Musk disputes claims the truck was unprofitable.
Cybertruck reservation holders will be receiving deposit refunds from Tesla, according to CEO Elon Musk. Musk stated in a post on X that Tesla cannot build every outstanding order before its production line closes in about eight months. The move could affect customers still waiting for their Cybertrucks, as Tesla prepares to use the factory space for Cybercab production.
Musk said demand for the stainless-steel pickup is higher than Tesla can keep up with. He added that the company would build as many Cybertrucks as possible before closing the production line in about eight months. However, the company would have to refund many customers who are still waiting for their trucks.
Musk also denied that Tesla is ending Cybertruck production because the truck is unprofitable, saying reports making that claim were wrong.
The Cybertruck order rate far exceeds our production rate. 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.
This is not a case of Cybertruck being unprofitable, as has been misreported by legacy media, but rather that the opportunity cost of the complexity of Cybertruck is vastly outweighed by the value of incremental Cybercab production.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2026
When the line stops and why
The eight-month timeline suggests Cybertruck production could end around mid-2027. This matches Musk’s earlier comments on November 6, claiming Tesla planned to stop building the truck at its Gigafactory Texas plant in Austin around the middle of next year. This is to make room for the Cybercab, its two-seat robotaxi, according to previous reporting by Cryptopolitan.
Austin is the only Tesla factory currently set up to build the Cybercab. To increase production, Tesla needs the space now used to make Cybertrucks. Musk’s X post is also the first time he would be explaining what the shutdown could mean for customers who had already ordered the truck.
Cybertruck started customer deliveries in late 2023, four years after its November 2019 reveal.
The profitability dispute
Musk’s statement does not prove that the Cybertruck is making money. He only denied that Tesla is ending production because the truck is losing money. He, however, did not share any figures to support his claim.
Tesla’s third-quarter 2026 earnings report grouped the Cybertruck with other vehicles under the “other models” category. The company did not share separate profit figures for the truck, making it hard to ascertain if it is actually making money. For now, Musk’s statement remains unconfirmed by any figures released by Tesla.
One group already refunded
This is not the first time Tesla has had to refund Cybertruck buyers. On October 23, the company told customers in Australia and New Zealand that it would no longer sell the truck in those countries and would return their deposits within 30 days. Some had paid A$150 to reserve a truck as early as November 2019.
Tesla has not explained how it will go about the decisions regarding which customers get a truck and which ones receive a refund. It is also unclear whether the decision will depend on when customers placed their orders, the model they chose or where they live.
Musk’s post was not an official notice to customers. Tesla will still need to explain how the refunds will work through its customer accounts.
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Opeyemi Olanrewaju
Opeyemi specializes in creating and refining high-quality content focused on cryptocurrency, global financial markets and the economy. He graduated from the University of Ibadan with an MBBS degree. He has worked as Editor-in-Chief for his College’s editorial publication and previously at CFA. For over six years, he has helped safeguard uniqueness as news editor at Cryptopolitan.
