A new video published by the YouTube channel Chile AI100 managed to present the latest Cybertruck prototype on Tesla’s test track in Fremont. The element that made viewers most impressed was the massive windshield wiper. Even Elon Musk confessed he didn’t like it.
Talking about the video, the Tesla CEO said there is no easy solution for wiping the giant windscreen. One option would be to have a “deployable wiper that stows in the front truck.” However, Musk said it would be a complex solution.
His Twitter followers also made fun of the rear-view mirrors, saying that they “will have to go.” Musk said automakers have to ship the vehicles with these components by law, but that “owners are allowed to modify their cars.” It is not clear what he means by that. Will the Cybertruck offer an optional camera system? Will it already come with it, and owners will just be able to remove the rear-view mirrors with no safety risks? It seems not even the Tesla CEO has an answer for that.
Considering his comments about the prototype, it seems that Tesla presented the concept with no idea about how the production vehicle would look like. After Musk promised he would manufacture the Cybertruck, Tesla engineers started trying to find solutions for things like windshield wipers and rear-view mirrors. Even the headlights seem to have moved to another place.
If that were not the case, Musk would probably not be wondering about how to wipe the windscreen at this point of the project. If it remains as the prototype shows, imagine the noise that such a massive component can make at highway speeds in an electric vehicle…
We must stress that Musk said at the Cybertruck’s premiere that its production would begin in “late 2021.” The company’s pre-order page for the electric pickup truck also stated that customers would be able to complete the configuration “as production near in late 2021.” We thought the only issue with the project was the lack of 4680 cells.
With the electric pickup truck in such a crude development stage, the idea that it can be manufactured in 2022 seems very difficult to attain. If Tesla pulls that off, proper testing for the Cybertruck will be a significant doubt.
While reservation holders may start wondering if they should not get a competitor at this point, Ford already closed reservations for the F-150. Rivian will probably take quite a while to reach large-scale production for the R1T. At this point, they may have no choice other than to wait.
His Twitter followers also made fun of the rear-view mirrors, saying that they “will have to go.” Musk said automakers have to ship the vehicles with these components by law, but that “owners are allowed to modify their cars.” It is not clear what he means by that. Will the Cybertruck offer an optional camera system? Will it already come with it, and owners will just be able to remove the rear-view mirrors with no safety risks? It seems not even the Tesla CEO has an answer for that.
Considering his comments about the prototype, it seems that Tesla presented the concept with no idea about how the production vehicle would look like. After Musk promised he would manufacture the Cybertruck, Tesla engineers started trying to find solutions for things like windshield wipers and rear-view mirrors. Even the headlights seem to have moved to another place.
If that were not the case, Musk would probably not be wondering about how to wipe the windscreen at this point of the project. If it remains as the prototype shows, imagine the noise that such a massive component can make at highway speeds in an electric vehicle…
We must stress that Musk said at the Cybertruck’s premiere that its production would begin in “late 2021.” The company’s pre-order page for the electric pickup truck also stated that customers would be able to complete the configuration “as production near in late 2021.” We thought the only issue with the project was the lack of 4680 cells.
With the electric pickup truck in such a crude development stage, the idea that it can be manufactured in 2022 seems very difficult to attain. If Tesla pulls that off, proper testing for the Cybertruck will be a significant doubt.
While reservation holders may start wondering if they should not get a competitor at this point, Ford already closed reservations for the F-150. Rivian will probably take quite a while to reach large-scale production for the R1T. At this point, they may have no choice other than to wait.
Manufacturers have to ship cars with side mirrors by law, but owners are allowed to modify their cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2021
The wiper is what troubles me most. No easy solution. Deployable wiper that stows in front trunk would be ideal, but complex.