Musk Laments 'Supply Chain Nightmare' Facing Cybertruck Production
"Oh man, this year has been such a supply chain nightmare & it's not over!" Musk said in a Twitter post.
By The Epoch Times •
This story originally appeared on The Epoch Times
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk on Monday lamented the ongoing supply chain difficulties facing the release of the company's much-delayed Cybertruck and said he will share updates about the new electric vehicle when the company reports its 2021 earnings.
"Oh man, this year has been such a supply chain nightmare & it's not over!" Musk said in a Twitter post. "I will provide an updated product roadmap on next earnings call," he added.
The posts were part of a thread discussing the steering yoke of a Model S Plaid, which Musk said would be an available option on the hotly anticipated Cybertruck.
"Cybertruck will reach far into a post-apocalyptic future & bring that technology to now," Musk also said, adding that the new vehicle is "intentionally an insane technology bandwagon."
Tesla unveiled the futuristic electric truck which is "built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection" in 2019.
The truck comes with a "nearly impenetrable exoskeleton" made up of "Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel" used in rockets and Tesla armor glass.
With a starting price of $39,900, Musk has touted receiving several hundred thousand orders for the Cybertruck when pre-orders were opened.
At a launch event in Los Angeles, Elon Musk said other versions will be priced at $49,900 and $69,900 with the most expensive offering a range of more than 500 miles. By comparison, the current maximum range of a Tesla car is 370 miles for its long-range Model S sedan.
At a shareholder meeting in October, Musk said Cybertruck production will begin next year and reach volume production in 2023. Production was initially expected to begin around late 2021.
In August, Tesla's pre-order page for the Cybertruck was updated to say that customers will be able to complete their configuration selections "as production nears in 2022."
Musk's comments regarding the "supply chain nightmare" come as economies across the globe face acute bottlenecks in supply chains, such as material and worker shortages as well as the skyrocketing prices of materials, driven by pandemic lockdown measures. These issues have also affected consumers, who are now faced with empty shelves and higher prices on top of rising inflation levels.
Teri Shern, co-founder of Conex Boxes, which provides steel storage container solutions, told The Epoch Times, "There are many changes that have come to the global supply chain as a result of the pandemic, and change will continue to happen."
"Some changes are permanent while some are temporary," she said, adding that "businesses need to start meeting demand again and will be putting a lot of focus on mitigating backlogs and other supply chain issues."
Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and COO of Chargebacks911, a tech company that protects online transactions for clients around the world and advises clients on sales strategies, told The Epoch Times that some corporations "might import some parts from India, other parts from China, maybe some rare-earth elements from somewhere else."
"If there are any delays at any point, it dramatically limits how quickly these gadgets can be sourced, assembled, packaged, shipped, and sold," she said.
Meanwhile, recent data show the backlog of container ships at ports along Southern California's coast has reached record highs despite the Biden administration's push in October to alleviate supply shortages and disruptions before Christmas, by pushing California ports to move to 24/7 operations.
The supply-chain bottlenecks show little sign of easing, according to data from the Marine Exchange released on Nov. 9, which reveal that there were a total of 111 container vessels waiting outside the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
That's up from a prior record of 108 container ships reported on Oct. 21, Business Insider first reported.
As the situation appears not to be improving in the near future, manufacturers are reportedly considering long-term adjustments to how they source inventory and deliver finished products.
Rachel Hartman and Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report.
Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She covers news and business for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States.
