The Tesla Cybertruck just endured yet another setback. In a year beset by vandalism and disintegrating body panels, Tesla told Cybertruck owners that the proposed range extender for the EV truck wasn’t going to happen after all. The move leaves the upcoming 350-mile RWD Long Range model as the longest-legged in the bunch. 

Tesla Cybertruck owners want refunds for the $16,000 range extender, and the brand is paying up

The Cybertruck. It originally promised around 500 miles of single-charge range in top spec. However, expectations and reality didn’t add up for the 6,660-lb EV pickup truck. The dual-motor Tesla Cybertruck All-Wheel Drive returns an estimated 325 miles of range, while the upcoming single-motor Long Range model tops out at around 350 miles.

Tesla then proposed the range extender, a removable battery pack system, as a remedy to get the hulking EV closer to original estimates. While it seemed like a feasible fix, it wasn’t cheap. Tesla required a $2,000 non-refundable deposit for the $16,000 option. What’s more, the extender wasn’t expected to push the Cybertruck past the 500-mile threshold, but rather 470 miles. Even then, the battery pack would occupy nearly one-third of the truck’s bed space and require professional installation. 

Now, however, Tesla reached out to Cybertruck owners to tell them that the optional range extender was no more. “We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck,” the emails read. “As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full,” per AutoGuide.  

It’s the latest development in a rough year for the Cybertruck

Needless to say, the Cybertruck needed a win. Estimates of unsold Cybertrucks exceed 10,000 units. This, despite steep discounts on the unsold population of the truck. Hell, the brand offered discounts of nearly $12,000 on the Foundation Series. Still, it wasn’t enough to shift the idle supply of EV pickup trucks. 

The axed range extender may be yet another signal of Tesla’s shifting priorities. In an event last year, CEO Elon Musk presented the self-driving Robotaxi to the public along with a renewed assertion that Tesla would “turn parking lots into parks” with its autonomous vehicles. 

In addition to the self-driving rides, spy shots have revealed what may be a lower-cost version of the Model 3 and Model Y, the brand’s cheapest EVs. In short, the Cybertruck may play a smaller role in the brand’s lineup moving forward.