Tesla Cybertruck Owner's Manual Reveals That Autosteer Doesn't Work in Trailer Mode

Although deliveries officially started last November, the Cybertruck is still waiting for Tesla to enable Autopilot and FSD Beta features. This is not uncommon with a new vehicle or even a model overhaul, as the driver assistance systems need fine-tuning. However, in the case of the Cybertruck, Autosteer might not be available in all situations, even after Tesla makes it perfect.

The recently published video of the Cybertruck owner's manual reveals that Autosteer will not be able to work when Trailer Mode is enabled. This is for practical and safety reasons, not because Tesla botched this feature in any way. More specifically, any feature that depends on the rear camera to function correctly will not work because a trailer might obscure the camera vision, rendering it useless. Also, some features are disabled or operate differently because towing a trailer presents specific challenges.

The manual confirms that the Cybertruck is able to estimate the load to determine the proper level of regenerative braking. At the start of the journey, it will start at the standard level, but as it learns about the trailer and cargo weight, regenerative braking will increase accordingly. The Cybertruck's trip planner will also take the calculated weight into account when estimating the range and the necessary charging stops.

When the Trailer Mode is enabled, only Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) is available, which means you won't be able to use Autosteer. However, TACC will work differently with an increased distance from the car in front. This is to allow for augmented braking distances with a trailer. Not only does the TACC work differently, but the air suspension will not make speed-based adjustments from Medium to Low and will not automatically raise ride height based on saved locations.

The driver must also take into account that while the side collision warning system remains active, automatic steering interventions are disabled. This is to prevent getting the load out of balance, considering how sensitive it is to sudden changes of direction. Also, it should be noted that the braking force provided by the Automatic Emergency Braking system might be significantly limited with the Trailer Model active.

Tesla continued to improve the Cybertruck's steer-by-wire system, and the 2023.44.9 OTA update from which the owner's manual has been extracted mentions steering improvements among the changes it brings. However, it appears that future software updates will make the Cybertruck even more agile. More specifically, the turning radius will become significantly tighter as Elon Musk is not satisfied with the current performance.

Thanks to the four-wheel steering system, the Cybertruck is already offering one of the smallest curb-to-curb turning circles. According to the leaked owner's manual, it only needs 43.5 feet (12.5 meters), which is 9% less than a Ford F-150 Lightning. One thing Tesla might do to tighten the turning radius is increase the turning angle of the rear wheels. Currently, the rear wheels only turn by about three degrees, although the maximum range could be as high as 10 degrees.