Musk pins production issues on ‘supply chain nightmare’
The widely anticipated Tesla Cybertruck could be delayed due to global technology supply chain problems, with CEO Elon Musk warning that the shortages affecting production were not over yet.
Musk acknowledged supply chain issues in a Twitter post on Monday after being asked for an update on the Cybertruck, which was unveiled in November 2019 just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Oh man, this year has been such a supply chain nightmare & it’s not over!” Musk declared, promising to “provide an updated product roadmap” on the company’s next earnings call.
The Tesla CEO also teased Cybertruck on Monday, calling it an intentionally “insane technology bandwagon” and claiming that the vehicle would “reach far into a post-apocalyptic future & bring that technology to now.”
Musk previously warned of Tesla’s supply chain issues in June, comparing technology shortages to cases of toilet paper hoarding and panic buying during the pandemic.
“Our biggest challenge is supply chain, especially microcontroller chips. Never seen anything like it,” he said at the time, explaining that the “fear of running out” had caused “every company to overorder – like the toilet paper shortage, but at epic scale.”
In June, however, Musk predicted that it would not be a “long-term issue.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a global computer chip shortage has left many industries short on supplies, with car, computer, and video game console companies taking some of the heaviest hits. Though much of the problem stemmed from factories closing down due to outbreaks and restrictions, supply shortages were worsened by a heavy rise in demand over lockdown and company hoarding, resulting in lengthy delays for in-demand products.
Currently set to enter production in 2022 after a delay halted its 2021 rollout, the Tesla Cybertruck has experienced a rocky start. Tesla stocks famously dropped in 2019 after the Cybertruck’s windows were smashed during a demonstration of its supposedly armored glass.
