Musk says Cybertruck will be “insane bandwagon,” but laments supply chain “nightmare”

Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has said the upcoming Cybertruck will be an “insane technology bandwagon”, but its launch is apparently still facing delays due to the supply chain “nightmare” that is “not over”.

And, in a tweet on Tuesday morning (Australia time), Musk said he’d attend the next earnings call due in January and give an updated product roadmap.

The Cybertruck was first unveiled in late 2019, polarising opinions with its rule-breaking angular design, cyberpunk aesthetic and armored glass (that was embarrassingly cracked by design lead Franz von Holzhausen’s sledge hammer).

But although a late 2021 launch was initially planned, the Cybertruck has still not yet come off the production line, having been pushed back by battery cell constraints and other supply chain issues.

Long pegged a “pet project” by Musk, the electric ute will be a platform for all Tesla’s top-of-line innovation. One of these will be the yoke steering wheel that also features in the refreshed Model S, but which has been met with differing reactions.

Asked whether the Cybertruck will have a yoke, Musk replied, “Cybertruck is intentionally an insane technology bandwagon,” and in a subsequent tweet said, “Cybertruck will reach far into a post-apocalyptic future & bring that technology to now.”

The eccentric CEO had just tweeted a response to a follower who expressed their love for the unconventional half-circle steering wheel known as a yoke, Musk said, “Yoke allows unobstructed view of the screen.”

“Acid test for new interface is use it for 2 weeks & see if you still want old version. After using yoke for few weeks, I didn’t want wheel,” he said.

But it’s not perfect – yet. Asked whether the yoke would be better for people living in mountain areas with windy roads, he replied, “Variable gain (steer by wire) yoke would be ideal …”

But when the Cybertruck and all this high-end tech will eventuate is what people really want to know. And with an estimated 1.27 million fully-refundable pre-orders – according to a crowd-sourced reservation tracker – that’s a lot of people waiting for what could possibly be the most anticipated vehicle of all time.

“Can we get a legit Cybertruck update? It’s been about 2 years after all,” another follower asked Musk on Twitter on Tuesday morning (Australia time).

“Oh man, this year has been such a supply chain nightmare & it’s not over! I will provide an updated product roadmap on next earnings call,” Musk replied.