Tesla will discontinue its Cybertruck pickup, a polarizing vehicle that arrived on the market only recently yet drew enormous attention, though its sales never came close to the lofty expectations Elon Musk originally set.

Musk said in a post on social media on Friday that the company will gradually halt Cybertruck production at its Texas factory by the middle of next year in order to free up capacity for the autonomous Cybercab, without offering further details. The abrupt announcement signals the end of the road for the electric pickup.

Demand for the Cybertruck fell far short of expectations, and the vehicle went through a series of recalls. Earlier this year, reports said other companies owned by Musk bought Cybertrucks to help prop up sales, with SpaceX being the most prominent buyer.

Barclays analyst Dan Levy said in a report that the decision to phase out production reflects the model's "relatively limited commercial success." He noted that Tesla currently builds roughly 20,000 Cybertrucks a year, equal to only about 1% of the company's total output and far below the factory's annual capacity of more than 125,000 units.

The sharply angled, unconventional pickup has drawn divided opinions ever since Musk unveiled the prototype in 2019. At that event, Tesla's chief designer threw a metal ball at the supposedly shatterproof window, only for the glass to crack.

On Friday, Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck's chief engineer, posted on X to thank buyers and Tesla employees, saying the model "has been an incredible technology development platform, and its technology will carry over to the Cybercab."

A Cybertruck is parked outside a SpaceX facility.