It is bad news for Tesla buyers. Tesla has confirmed that it has finally given up on the plans to make a Cybertruck range extender to achieve the range it originally promised on the electric pickup truck.
In this row the brand has already started refunding deposits for the $16,000 extra battery pack.
It is said that there were two main disappointments when Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023. And the tri-motor version, the most popular in reservation tallies before, is supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
But now Tesla is selling the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles. Also, the dual-motor Cybertruck was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range; it really starts at $80,000 and has 325 miles of range.
Tesla initially introduced a solution to enhance the it’s range through an optional accessory known as the “range extender”. This add-on, priced at $16,000, was designed to be installed in the truck’s bed, occupying approximately one-third of the cargo space. It aimed to increase the dual-motor Cybertruck’s range from 340 miles to over 470 miles and the tri-motor Cyberbeast’s range from 320 miles to over 440 miles.
However, Tesla later revised these estimates, reducing the additional range provided by the extender to 445+ miles for the dual-motor version and 415+ miles for the Cyberbeast with all-terrain tyres. The company also delayed the production timeline, shifting the expected availability from early 2025 to mid-2025.
In a recent development, Tesla has officially cancelled the Cybertruck range extender accessory. Customers who had placed a $2,000 deposit for the extender will receive full refunds. This decision reflects broader challenges Tesla faces in meeting the initial performance promises of the Cybertruck, including range and pricing expectations.
Last month EV news website Electrek reported that Tesla has quietly removed the range extender from the Cybertruck online configurator, where buyers could reserve it with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”.
