Virtually 4 years after Elon Musk first unveiled Tesla Inc.’s debut pickup, the automaker has constructed its first Cybertruck at its plant in Austin, Texas.

Tesla shared the event Saturday on Musk-owned Twitter, posting a photograph of employees in security vests and helmets obscuring a lot of the car. When Musk first confirmed a prototype of the wedge-shaped truck in November 2019, the plan was for manufacturing to begin two years later.

Musk has tempered expectations for the way shortly Tesla will ramp up manufacturing, telling shareholders on the firm’s annual assembly in Might that the Cybertruck’s radical design poses challenges. He’s stated the physique will probably be stainless-steel, which could be costly and tough to form and weld.

“It’s going to be exhausting to make the price inexpensive as a result of it’s a new automotive, new manufacturing methodology,” Musk stated. “Within the grand scheme of issues, relative to the manufacturing fee of all the opposite vehicles we make, will probably be small. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless very cool.”

Tesla initially stated it could promote the Cybertruck in three configurations:

• A single-motor model with greater than 250 miles of vary, beginning at $39,900.
• A dual-motor mannequin with greater than 300 miles of vary, beginning at $49,900.
• And a tri-motor iteration with greater than 500 miles of vary, beginning at $69,900.

However in October 2021, the corporate eliminated pricing and specs from its Cybertruck order web page, with out clarification.

When requested in April of this 12 months for up to date specs and pricing, Musk demurred, saying Tesla would save that data for a Cybertruck handover occasion he hoped to stage across the finish of the third quarter.

Since Tesla unveiled the car at an occasion marred by the botched demonstration of supposedly bulletproof glass, Ford Motor Co. launched an electrical model of its best-selling F-150, Basic Motors started promoting its GMC Hummer EV pickup, and Rivian Automotive Inc. launched its R1T truck.

Deutsche Financial institution analyst Emmanuel Rosner expects Tesla to ship 2,000 Cybertrucks this 12 months — a fraction of the 1.78 million autos he’s projecting in whole. In a June 26 report, he questioned whether or not the product will enhance the corporate’s profitability, citing the problem of optimizing manufacturing and want for bigger battery packs to allow towing.

“This might layer on an extra headwind to margin within the again half” of the 12 months, wrote Rosner, who charges Tesla inventory a purchase with a $260 worth goal. The shares closed Friday at $281.38 and have soared 128% this 12 months.

Tesla releases second-quarter earnings outcomes on July 19.