The Cybertruck is coming soon, but Elon Musk is still not revealing very much.
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Posted on EVANNEX on July 16, 2021 by Iqtidar Ali
Will the production version of the Cybertruck be identical to what we witnessed during Tesla’s glass-shattering launch event in 2019? Absolutely not. There are plenty of updates we can expect transitioning from prototype to a production-ready electric pickup. And it appears there’s even more in the works.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently revealed new information about the Cybertruck while answering a tweet asking about its production and deliveries timeline.
Elon being Elon, did not give an exact timeline, instead he noted, “We’re adding rear-wheel steering, so it can do tight turns & maneuver with high agility.”
This is an exciting addition to Cybertruck’s notable features. Adding 4-wheel steering control to Cybertruck’s list of impressive specs and capabilities will make it a truly breakthrough American-made pickup truck in the market.
It’s worth noting that last year GM released a Hummer EV teaser video that shows a four-wheel steering capability. GM called this feature “crab mode” and it caught some positive attention in the truck community.
If Musk and his team are able to demonstrate Cybertruck’s 4-wheel steering before the Hummer EV (expected release fall 2021) — Tesla could steal the show once again. After all, it makes sense for Tesla to offer something like this in order to gain yet another advantage in the super-hot electric pickup truck market.
To that end, there’s also something similar in the works with the all-electric Rivian tank turn which should appear in both the Rivian R1T and R1S — all made possible by the electric truck’s four individual motors.
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It turns out the 4-wheel steering capability isn’t the only surprise related to Cybertruck. Recently, Tesla applied for some Cybertruck patents revealing the EV pickup truck’s solar bed cover, newly designed UI, and a possible 600+ miles of range — perhaps these are some of the things Musk was referring to when he noted: “Lot[s] of other great things coming,” in his recent tweet.
Rumors have also surfaced that Tesla executed a massive $400M dollar deal with Samsung related to Cybertruck utilizing the company’s Electro-Mechanics camera modules — could there be a more advanced camera set-up for Cybertruck too? No side mirrors and cameras instead?
Hard to say. But one thing is for sure — the yoke steering wheel design we see in the official Cybertruck interior photo (shown above) has already made its way into the Tesla Model S Plaid. That said, it will be pretty interesting to see how the yoke steering wheel will turn all four wheels of the Cybertruck.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5c6x0g0DiQM
Above: A Tesla Cybertruck fan-made video from Billy Crammer (YouTube: Billster)
Sure, there’s lots of excitement for other electric trucks coming to market including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, and GMC’s Hummer EV — a great thing as we collectively move towards a clean, green zero-emissions future. That said, there’s also been some genuine missteps in the electric truck segment as it gets going (e.g. Lordstown, Nikola).
It’s no wonder that everyone is waiting, anxiously, for the industry-leader to enter the segment. Tesla’s reservation holders (rumored to be over 1 million strong) keep asking for the Cybertruck timeline because enthusiasm for this polarizing and disruptive pickup truck appears to be unrivaled by any other vehicle in recent history.
However, during the Q4 2020 earnings call, Musk had already answered that Cybertruck volume production will only happen in 2022 at Giga Texas.
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Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle. Revised update edited by EVANNEX.
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