Elon Musk delays Cybertruck deliveries in Los Angeles to provide internet in areas without power

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk on Sunday announced that he was delaying the delivery of several Cybertrucks in Los Angeles, in order to help provide internet for Southern California communities who remain without power.

A series of wildfires began raging through Los Angeles last week and have resulted in more than 10,000 structures and homes having been damaged or burnt down. More than 35,000 residents remain without power as of Monday, per CBS News.

Musk apologized to the customers who were longingly anticipating their vehicles' arrivals, but said replacement trucks will be delivered by the end of the week. Cybertrucks can provide backup power to a home for up to three days, according to Tesla’s website.

"Apologies to those expecting Cybertruck deliveries in California over the next few days," Musk said in a post on X. "We need to use those trucks as mobile base stations to provide power to Starlink Internet terminals in areas of LA without connectivity. A new truck will be delivered end of week."

Musk said the vehicles will be positioned with Starlinks and free WiFi in the greater Los Angeles and Malibu areas. 

The CEO also said that people wishing to help with their own Cybertrucks in the area should be cautious of armed looters, and said the truck themselves are "bulletproof to subsonic projectiles" but the glass windows are not. 

The update comes after the death toll from the wildfires rose to 24 on Sunday night. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, are 14% and 33% contained respectively as of publishing.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.