Tesla delays its $16,000 Cybertruck range extender and lowers its specs

• Tesla delayed the Cybertruck range extender and reduced its range estimate by 25 miles.

• Initially advertised with up to 500 miles of range, the production Cybertruck arrived with significantly less.

• Tesla's solution was the range extender, which sits in the truck bed and costs $16,000.

Tesla is again revising the specifications of a previously announced product and delaying its launch.

The listing for the Cybertruck range extender, an optional add-on that boosts the distance the electric vehicle can drive before requiring a recharge, was recently updated on Tesla's website for the dual-motor model.

The estimated range from the optional upgrade is now lower by about 25 miles. Initially listed as launching in early 2025, the range extender is now expected to arrive in mid-2025, according to Tesla's website.

The specs reduction widens the gap between the estimated range Tesla advertised in 2019 for the Cybertruck and the distance the production vehicle can drive on a single charge with the accessory.

At the Cybertruck's 2019 unveiling, CEO Elon Musk announced that the vehicle would start at $39,900, with the most premium version, a tri-motor "Cyberbeast" configuration, costing $77,000 and having 500 miles of range.

Five years later, the tri-motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck launched with 301 miles of range — a nearly 200-mile difference. A less expensive dual-motor variant listed an estimated 318 miles of range. For owners looking to get closer to the 500 miles initially advertised, Tesla announced the range extender, which it said would cost around $16,000 and sit in the truck's bed, adding range at the expense of storage space.

With the recent changes to the Cybertruck range extender, Tesla estimates the dual-motor variant can achieve over 445 miles of range and the tri-motor Cyberbeast over 415 miles.

The Cybertruck's range is one of multiple details that Musk and Tesla talked about that failed to materialize in the production vehicle, such as its ability to float and temporarily act as a boat. The company predicted the Cybertruck would enter production in 2021 before encountering delays (Musk has frequently said he tends to be "optimistic" about launch timing). Production didn't begin until late last year.

The Cybertruck is also at least $20,000 more expensive than early preorder holders expected as inflation soared in the years since the truck's announcement.

The vehicle has proven popular, however, and a new status symbol for celebrities. It's also outsold the competition, dominating the electric pickup market this summer.

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