The Cybertruck Has a Rearview Mirror Problem, and Tesla Needs To Address It

Tesla delivered the first Cybertruck units to celebrities and its own employees, and it really looks impressive with its futuristic design and cutting-edge technologies. Although some have been disappointed by the limited range of the tri-motor Cyberbeast, and the price turned out much higher than expected, the Cybertruck does feature some incredible technologies that will shape the automotive industry for decades to come.

Among the most impressive features are the 48-volt electrical architecture and the adoption of Gigabit Ethernet with Power over Ethernet to power and connect all the major components of the truck. This approach makes it more suitable to use software and electronics than mechanical parts for some of the critical functions. One example is the steer-by-wire system, which benefits significantly from the low-latency Gigabit Ethernet connection.

Thanks to this high-speed interface, Tesla found it more convenient to use the rear camera to display rear traffic on the center screen than to install a rearview mirror in the cabin. Not that the Cybertruck doesn't come with a cabin rearview mirror. It does, although it's removable. This makes sense, considering that you cannot use it to see outside when the vault is closed. However, this approach poses a critical problem that has nothing futuristic about it.

As teardown veteran Sandy Munro discovered immediately after delivery, when he tested the Cybertruck, driving in the rain is incompatible with the rearview camera approach. Thanks to its shape and aerodynamics, the airflow around the truck creates a vortex, directing the dirt toward the rear camera. It may have eaves to protect it from the water droplets coming vertically, but Cybertruck designers did not think of the dirt drawn by the airflow when driving in the rain.

This is also a problem on other car models, including those wearing the Tesla badge. However, since they don't use a rearview camera, it's less important to stay clean. Of course, a spray nozzle to clean it would be a great idea. Tesla fitted the Cybertruck's front camera with a washer but not the rear one. This is not only a problem while driving but also when trying to park or go backward. With no ultrasonic sensors and a camera covered in mud, tough luck using Tesla Vision to park the Cybertruck without cleaning it first.

In the video below, you can see teardown titan Sandy Munro explaining the problem at 01:46. On the plus side, he praised the Cybertruck for offering excellent visibility with minimal blind spots. Tesla also appears to have paid attention to other details, including the convenient location of the HEPA filter and the windshield washer fluid.