Amid global delays, Tesla promises 'mid-2023' deadline for delivering the Cybertruck

The outlandish Tesla Cybertruck finally has a shipping date, with founder and chief executive Elon Musk telling investors on Wednesday that the company will ship the all-electric pickup truck to buyers by mid-2023. This is the first time that Tesla has offered a somewhat definite timeline for delivering its latest vehicle, after Musk having previously said that Tesla would "hopefully" look to start producing the Cybertruck some time in 2023.

To be sure, though, the Cybertruck has not entered production yet, so it is likely that there could be delays in the eventual delivery timeline. Meeting promised deadlines has not exactly been Tesla's forte, and over the past years, the company has missed multiple deadlines for delivering its electric cars. In May this year, Tesla told its customers in Australia that new electric vehicle (EV) buyers could face delays of up to six months from the estimated date of delivery – and up to 12-month wait periods for its new cars.

In India, though, Tesla has failed to make headway in its prolonged bargaining for tax relaxations. The company reportedly asked the Indian government to afford the company subsidies in its typical import duties for completely built units (CBUs) of EVs – which is presently at 60% of an EV's market retail price for cars priced below $40,000 (approx. ₹32 lakh), and 100% for more expensive ones.

Given that Tesla's cars start at $44,600 (approx. ₹36 lakh) for the base Tesla Model 3 variant, the company's cars would be twice as expensive in India than global markets.

The Indian government, meanwhile, has reportedly asked Tesla to start with setting up EV infrastructure, such as an assembling facility and a gigafactory for its batteries, in order to be considered for benefits. In August and December last year, Tesla had received approvals for their cars to be plied on Indian roads – sparking rumours regarding an impending launch. As of May this year, a Reuters report claimed that Tesla has scrapped its plans to import and sell its EVs in India.

No progress, however, has happened on this since. Instead, Tesla is said to have abandoned its search for a local showroom, and reassigned its India employees.