Tesla Officially Cancels Cybertruck Range Extender, Refunds Deposits

Tesla has officially cancelled the long-delayed Cybertruck Range Extender, confirming what many suspected after the optional add-on quietly disappeared from the vehicle configurator in early April. The cancellation of the Range Extender was confirmed in an email sent on Wednesday to customers who had placed deposits, with Tesla saying it is “no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck” and that full refunds will be issued. “Thank you for being a Cybertruck owner,” the email reads. “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.” This marks the end of what was once considered a solution to the Cybertruck’s disappointing range capabilities compared to the originally announced specs. When the vehicle was first unveiled in 2019, Tesla promised up to 500 miles (804 km) of range. However, the production version that arrived in late 2023 fell short, offering up to 340 miles (547 km) in the best-case configuration, or around 325 miles (523 km) for most All-Wheel Drive models. To close the gap between expectation and reality, Tesla unveiled the Range Extender—an optional, toolbox-sized battery pack that sat in the truck bed and boosted range to as much as 470+ miles (756+ km). It came at a steep price, estimated at US$16,000 or C$22,000, and also compromised the truck’s utility by occupying roughly a third of the bed space. Originally slated for late 2024, the Range Extender faced several delays and revisions. By early 2025, Tesla had downgraded its estimated boost in range to “445+ miles” (716+ km). Then, in early April, it vanished from the configurator entirely in both in Canada and the U.S., though it remained listed in the specifications section with reduced range estimates and no ordering option. While Tesla has not offered a detailed explanation for the cancellation, the Range Extender’s design was often criticized. Many Cybertruck owners and fans found the form factor too intrusive, arguing that a flatter design spanning the full length of the bed would have preserved more of the truck’s core utility, like in the mock-up below.