Tesla Clarifies Fate of $61,000 Cybertruck Variant After Recent Changes Made to the Cybertruck Order Page

Recently, Tesla made several changes to the Cybertruck online configurator. The biggest change that caused all the controversy was the fact that Tesla removed any mention of the cheapest Cybertruck variant from the company's website.

Now, if you head over to the Cybertruck order page, you will not find the $61,000 single-motor rear-wheel drive Cybertruck variant listed anywhere.

Moreover, as of a few days ago, the process of acquiring a Cybertruck has become more straightforward. You no longer need to reserve a Cybertruck; you can now directly order the vehicle from Tesla’s online configurator.

This would have been wonderful news on its own; however, Cybertruck reservation holders waiting for cheaper Cybertruck variants to become available before completing their order are calling foul play.

The discontent stems from the fact that Tesla is currently only allowing buyers to choose between two Foundation Series Cybertruck variants: the $100,000 Foundation Series Cybertruck All-Wheel-Drive and the $120,000 Foundation Series Cybertruck Cyberbeast.

These fully loaded Foundation Series Cybertruck variants cost $20,000 more than their respective base models, meaning the regular Cybertruck AWD costs $80,000, and the Cybertruck Cybereast costs $100,000.

However, by going with the Foundation Series, owners get optional features and add-ons, such as Full Self-Driving Software, larger wheels and off-road tires, lifetime premium connectivity, special insignia, Power Share home backup equipment and installation, and other smaller bells and whistles.

Long-time Cybertruck reservation holders who have been waiting patiently for Tesla to start selling the regular Cybertruck variants are the ones unhappy with the EV maker’s decision to open up the Cybertruck order process to everyone.

Now, a person with more resources can order a Cybertruck and receive the vehicle within a few days to weeks, skipping ahead of years of reservation holders.

This is the new normal, and Tesla has not walked back this decision. If you are willing to give Tesla more money, you can easily jump ahead on the one million-person long reservation list.

However, regarding the cheaper Cybertruck variant, Tesla has clarified the issue and has made some updates that should please people.

After the EV maker removed all mentions of the cheaper Cybertruck rear-wheel drive variant, a lot of people were unhappy with the decision, believing that Tesla had canceled the most affordable Cybertruck variant.

One such person, Fud News on X, wrote, “Did Tesla just kill the $61K single motor Cybertruck? There’s going to be mass cancelations when people hear about this.”

Below his statement, Fud News included a screenshot of Tesla’s new and old Cybertrruck order page side by side, showing that the $61,000 rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck has been removed from the company’s online configurator.

WTF. Did $TSLA just kill the $61K single motor Cybertruck?

There’s going to be mass cancelations when people hear about this. pic.twitter.com/9LRBULNdlV
— 🚨Fud News (@FudBos) August 9, 2024

This sentiment was shared widely, with multiple news outlets reporting that Tesla has quietly canceled the cheapest Cybertruck variant.

However, Tesla’s lead Cybertruck engineer, Wes Morrill, has refuted these reports and provided more detail about the recent changes made to the Cybertruck order page.

In response to Fud News claiming Tesla has canceled the cheapest Cybertruck variant, Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt wrote, “No. There was never a single-motor RWD Foundation Series. For now, the configurator only shows Foundation Series. This does not mean the RWD is canceled.”

Tesla’s chief Cybertruck engineer confirmed Sawyer’s statement simply by responding, “This,” meaning what Sawyer said is the actual truth.

This
— Wes (@wmorrill3) August 10, 2024

This means that although Tesla has removed the rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck from the online configurator, according to Wes, the vehicle has not been canceled and will be back on the order page once Tesla finishes selling the Foundation Series Cybertruck variants.

Tesla says that Foundation Series Cybertruck sales will most likely last until the end of the year, meaning anyone interested in the regular variants will have to wait until next year.

Additionally, for people waiting for the $61,000 Cybertruck, the wait will most likely be even longer, as Tesla states that the vehicle will not start production until the end of 2025.

Overall, after raising the Cybertruck starting price from $39,000 to $100,000, it’s nice that the EV maker is at least still committed to producing cheaper versions of the all-electric truck.

Currently, this is all the information we have. However, we’ll be sure to keep you posted when we learn more about Tesla’s plans. Until then, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

So, what do you think? Are you happy that Tesla has not canceled the cheapest Cybertruck variant? Also, will a single motor rear wheel drive truck be accepted in the market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below.

Image: Screenshot from the Cybertruck order page

For more information, check out: A Honda T-Boned My Tesla Cybertruck & Got Peeled Like a Shrimp; My Cybertruck Kept a Piece of the Honda Stuck Between Its Stainless Steel Panels as a Souvenir of Its Triumph

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.