Tesla’s controversial Cybertruck may have an unexpected potential savior: an aftermarket specialist wants to take over production of the futuristic electric pickup.
Unplugged Performance, a California company known for customizing Tesla models, has offered to keep the Cybertruck assembly line running after Elon Musk indicated that production could be phased out in 2027.
The tuning firm says it could bring together investors to finance and manage the operation, freeing Tesla to focus on its next major project: autonomous robotaxis.
In an open letter posted on X.com, Unplugged Performance said it backed Musk’s decision to prioritize the Cybercab and would gladly assume responsibility for the Cybertruck business.
The proposal would not require Tesla to provide factory space, workers or management support.
In return, Tesla would collect licensing payments along with a portion of the revenue from every Cybertruck manufactured.
Unplugged also said it would place the Cybercab ahead of its own production needs for battery cells, using only whatever supply remained available.
The company’s plans go beyond preserving Tesla’s sharp-edged electric pickup.
Tesla’s divisive Cybertruck could receive an unlikely lifeline, with an aftermarket company proposing to take over production of the futuristic electric pickup.
Musk has said ending Cybertruck production would create room at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas for more Cybercabs, the company’s two-seat autonomous taxis
Unplugged wants to develop a three-row CyberSUV as well as an autonomous freight model called CyberCargo, potentially turning the Cybertruck into the foundation of a broader family of Tesla-inspired vehicles.
The idea quickly drew interest online, with the company’s initial post reportedly collecting more than 240,000 views in just a few hours.
Yet converting an ambitious concept into a working vehicle plant would require one crucial ingredient: substantial funding.
Unplugged Performance is inviting investors and strategic partners to express interest, while emphasizing that it is merely assessing the opportunity and is not accepting financial commitments at this stage.
The company has not identified any prospective backers or revealed how much money the proposed takeover would require.
Tesla’s plan to scale back Cybertruck production follows several years of weaker-than-expected demand for a vehicle Musk once forecast would sell 250,000 units each year.
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Just 20,237 Cybertrucks were sold in the US during 2025, down 48 percent from the 38,965 delivered there in 2024.
The pickup began reaching customers in late 2023, four years after its unveiling. Its stainless-steel, angular design has remained deeply divisive, while its high price has further limited its appeal.
Tesla is preparing to wind down production after years of disappointing sales for the Cybertruck, which Elon Musk once predicted could sell 250,000 units annually
Tesla sold only 20,237 Cybertrucks in the US in 2025, a 48 percent drop from the 38,965 sold in 2024
The model has been subject to 11 recalls since its launch, and its unusual construction has made expansion into markets such as Europe difficult because of pedestrian-protection rules.
Even so, Musk has continued to stand by the polarizing pickup.
Replying to a user on X, he called the Cybertruck the ‘best vehicle Tesla has ever made‘ and referred to the planned production halt as the ‘end of an era.’
Musk has said ending Cybertruck manufacturing would give Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas additional capacity to increase output of the Cybercab, its two-seat autonomous taxi.
He has also said the number of remaining Cybertruck orders is greater than what Tesla can fulfill before the line is dismantled, raising the possibility that some reservation holders may be offered refunds.
Unplugged Performance already has close ties to the pickup through its business selling specialized Cybertruck upgrades, including suspension lifts and protective armor packages.
Its UP.FIT division has also adapted Cybertrucks for police departments and commercial fleets, giving the company experience with the vehicle beyond the accessories market.
Still, assuming control of a complete automotive production program would be far more complex than installing aftermarket equipment.
While Cybertruck enthusiasts may welcome the possibility of keeping the stainless-steel pickup alive, many others remain unconvinced that the model deserves another opportunity.
Critics on Reddit have ridiculed its unconventional styling, with some likening its angular shape to a child’s sketch and others questioning whether it works effectively as a conventional pickup.
Some commenters also argued that the difficulty goes beyond Tesla’s design choices, noting that electric pickups in general have struggled to win over American buyers.
For now, Unplugged Performance’s Cybertruck rescue plan remains only a proposal. Tesla has yet to say publicly whether it would consider handing the vehicle’s future to an outside operator.