- Tesla has quietly killed off the $16,000 Range Extender for the Cybertruck.
- The automaker removed it from the Cybertruck configurator last month, signaling the possible demise.
- Owners who bet big on range problems being temporary will now have no short-term solution.
Well that didn't take long. Just weeks after dropping the Tesla Cybertruck's Range Extender from the vehicle's online configurator, Tesla has quietly killed off the accessory completely without delivering a single unit of the $16,000 battery to its customers.
An email went out to Cybertruck owners last night, informing them that the company is no longer planning to offer the feature and that their deposit will be refunded in full.
The accessory—essentially a large, secondary battery pack for boosting range—had been delayed time and time again since it was first announced. This led to onlookers claiming that the accessory was just vaporware and would never be delivered. Well, it turns out that these conspiracy theories were right, as Tesla announced to reservation holders on Wednesday that it wouldn't be delivering the Range Extender and would be refunding deposits in full.
If you recall, when the Cybertruck was first announced, Tesla promised a whopping 500 miles of range thanks to its revolutionary 4680 battery cells. But Tesla continued to run into issues developing the 4680 and failed to deliver on its range promises for the Cybertruck. Instead, it launched with a maximum range of just 340 miles (later revised to 325 miles) and recently released a Long Range variant capable of hitting 350 miles.
To make up for the lack of range, Tesla decided to launch a Range Extender for the Cybertruck to get close to its range goal. The $16,000 battery pack would allow owners to reach 470 miles of range once it was installed, and it would only take up a third of the usable bed space (ouch).
The Range Extender was delayed again in late 2024, but this time, it would only enable the truck to hit 445 miles of range. No change in the price, though. Either way, Tesla told the public to expect a mid-2025 launch. And then we reach today, where Tesla is officially shrugging its shoulders and giving up on the Range Extender altogether.
From Tesla's cancellation email:
Thank you for being a Cybertruck owner.
We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck. As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full. The amount will be returned to the original payment method used for the transaction.
Thank you for your understanding.
The Tesla Team
What makes this especially weird is just how central the Range Extender was for Tesla to keep its promised range. After all, the Cybertruck has been falling short just about everywhere that counts—including sales. Recently, it was revealed that Tesla has built up a three-month supply of Cybertrucks (based on its dismal Q1 sales).
It also calls into question Tesla's confidence in the Cybertruck and its battery cells. If the automaker is scrapping the most obvious solution to road trip and towing anxiety, there has to be a reason. Is it weight? Price? Effectiveness? No matter the reason, it's certainly a blow to folks who were counting on this accessory to be their saving grace when towing over long distances—you know, a crucial truck thing.
Maybe it should be no surprise that an expensive accessory is being canned when the truck has significantly lower sales volume than expected. Or, perhaps Tesla's 4680 cell problems can't be resolved as easily as possible, and there really is some merit in CATL founder Robin Zang's claim that Musk "doesn't know how to make a battery" after all.
But, hey, maybe next time.
