Limiting supply could help the company maintain higher prices and a longer period of high demand
The Tesla Cybertruck has finally arrived, albeit in extremely limited quantities for now. Elon Musk has publicly stated that production would ramp up to 250,000 units sometime in 2025. Now, some forecasters believe that the automaker might intentionally plan for a slow production ramp to maintain higher margins and demand over a longer period of time.
Apple’s iPhone X arrived with both a higher-than-expected price and some surprising new features. Of course, it also did so in very limited quantities. For buyers with the cash to splash, those factors didn’t dissuade them from snapping the handheld device up. In fact, it might have made the iPhone X even more alluring.
The Cybertruck appears to follow that same form in at least a couple of ways. It’s notable for its extreme engineering, it’s not widely available, and it has a starting price far higher than initially expected. Even those with lots of extra cash to throw at Tesla can’t necessarily get one right away.
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Read: Lambo Urus And F-150 Raptor R Try And Fail To Outrun Tesla Cybertruck
According to Business Insider, that could be all part of the plan. The publication cites both Apple and Ferrari as possible examples. Notably, the Italian supercar manufacturer openly limits the number of units it builds to maintain exclusivity. Tesla already does something similar with products like its Flamethrower, Cyberbeer, and Burn Hair cologne.
Different forecasters are predicting wildly different numbers for the electric pickup at this point. On average, analysts believe it’ll build about 48,000 units next year, but beyond that is up for debate. Estimates range anywhere from 78,000 units in 2025 all the way up to 230,000. Don’t forget that Tesla evidently had over 1 million reservations for the truck. If true, it could still be in very high demand even if Tesla ramps production up as quickly as possible.
None of this should be all that surprising. Back in March of this year, we told you about how some believed the same thing. At the time, forecasters called the Cybertruck a “Cult car” and said that over-saturation could diminish some of that clout. If or when that might happen remains to be seen. For now, it appears as though the angular pickup will grab all sorts of attention for some time to come.
