Tesla Inc.’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Cybertruck is the electric vehicle maker’s next major product and this long-awaited truck is expected to move into production in 2023.
What Happened: Tesla has taken delivery of a large order of Kuka robots, Electrek reported, citing a bill of lading spotted by a Twitter user going by the handle @greggertruck.
66 Kuka production line robots arrived in Houston on the 18th. The Kuka robots have been used on ALL Tesla production lines, just makes most sense at this time to be in regards to #Cybertruck $tsla Check out below! Incl. example of WHAT Kuka Robots are specifically! pic.twitter.com/3K4uwuSCaR
— Greg (@greggertruck) December 22, 2022
The 66 robots indicated by the bill may not be a significant number for automotive production lines but it could be one of the several shipments planned, the report said.
Tesla used massive numbers of German-made Kuka robots at its Giga Texas to build Model Y vehicles last year, Electrek said.
Although Tesla has signaled Cybertruck production would start in mid-2023, an earlier start date could not be ruled out given Model Y production has ramped up significantly, the report pointed out.
Model Y production per week ramped up to 3,000 units, Tesla said in a tweet on Dec. 18. The company is shooting for a goal of 5,000 units per week. Once this target is achieved, the focus could shift to Cybertruck production, Electrek said.
The Giga press, a casting machine used for putting together the Cybertruck body, has reportedly arrived in pieces at the Giga Texas factory. The parts of the 9,000-ton equipment made by IDRA Group were being assembled at the plant site now.
Why It’s Important: When it is finally launched, the Cybertruck will compete against Ford Motor Company’s (NYSE: F) F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck and Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN)'s truck.
Given the disruptive potential of Tesla’s products, the Cybertruck is expected to give its predecessors a run for their money. The electric vehicle pioneer has a track record of strong execution and it could fare better with the production ramp-up.
