Still waiting to see the final production-ready Tesla Cybertruck? Here are look at some of the finer details.
Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen has shown off what appears to be an almost production-ready prototype of the highly anticipated Cybertruck at an event at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, California.
A number of Tesla fans uploaded photos and videos to Twitter showing off different elements of the electric pickup, including the tub, charge port, door operation, rear-wheel steering, and interior.
The tub on the Tesla Cybertruck is understood to measure in at 6.5-feet (~2 metres) long and has an electric tonneau cover that can be operated with a push of a button on the left-hand side.
There’s a storage space under the tub floor of unknown capacity that can be used to store items like the charging cables, and there also appears to be a vehicle-to-load port behind a flap on the left-hand side of the tub.
This particular Tesla Cybertruck has an aero wheel design that resembles that of the original 2019 concept.
On the wheel arch of the rear left-hand side wheel, there’s a NACS charging port that is hidden behind an electrically actuated door. It’s unclear if the larger Type 2/CCS combo charger that’s more prevalent outside North America will fit in this particular location.
Mr von Holzhausen showed how the doors operate on the Cybertruck, opening with the push of a button on the B- or C-pillar, depending on which door.
Earlier Cybertruck prototypes and concepts had retractable door handles on the door itself. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in 2021, however, the Cybertruck wouldn’t have door handles.
The windows on the Cybertruck are frameless and roll down all the way, as demonstrated by Mr von Holzhausen.
The Tesla design boss also demonstrated how the Cybertruck’s rear-wheel steering system works in a car park at the Petersen Museum.
Twitter users also caught glimpses of the Cybertruck’s interior, which closely resembles that of the example shown at the recent shareholder day.
The wild-looking Tesla Cybertruck was first revealed in concept form in 2019 and has been repeatedly delayed since then. The latest word from Tesla is that it’s on track to enter production later this year, with mass production beginning during 2024.
Mr Musk recently told investors that a “hand over” for the first deliveries is planned for the third quarter of 2023.
It’s expected the brand will confirm final pricing and specifications closer to that date.
Tesla has reportedly experienced difficulties during development of its first electric pickup.
A report that dates back to January 2022 exposed flaws in an ‘alpha’ Cybertruck prototype including handling issues, high noise levels, as well as suspension and braking flaws.
Since then, the brand has been spied numerous times testing the Cybertruck around the United States, including wind tunnel testing and road testing.
A Cybertruck prototype was also recently spied disembarking a plane in New Zealand, likely on its way to complete winter testing at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground on the South Island, used by many carmakers.
