Tesla CEO Elon Musk answered a few questions about the upcoming Cybertruck in one of his tweetstorms yesterday. The most interesting revelation he made in his tweets is that the production version of the Tesla Cybertruck will not have any door handles, it will recognize and open the doors for the owner/driver.
Despite this change, the production Cybertruck will have no other major design changes compared to the prototype that was first shown at the unveiling event back in 2019. “In end, we kept production design almost exactly same as show car. Just some small tweaks here & there to make it slightly better,” Musk posted on Twitter.
The Cybertruck prototype always had the door handles since its first public appearance at the unveiling as we can see in the picture above. Eliminating the door handles will further flatten the door design, giving the Cybertruck an even more futuristic look.
The Model X electric SUV is the only car in the current Tesla lineup that is equipped with the self/auto presenting front doors. As the owner/driver approaches a Model X with the keyfob or with a paired mobile phone with the Tesla Mobile App, the car automatically opens the driver’s side door. The door is fully opened so that the driver does not need to touch any door handles. Now, to close the door, the driver has to press the brake pedal for a few seconds, the Model X door closes automatically (video demo below).
But still, the Model X has door handles and there are multiple ways to open and close the doors on this car including manually and using the center touchscreen controls. This option used to be part of the premium upgrade package (PUP) in the past but now it comes standard on the new 2021 Model X design refresh (both Long Range and Plaid).
Tesla already has the tech in place for the motorized auto open and closed doors, they just need to migrate these functions to the Cybertruck.
Besides this Musk openly admitted that the Cybertruck could fail to amuse the masses and there is a chance that it might flop but he still loves this vehicle so much that he does not care.
He also stressed the 4-wheel steering capability of the Cybertruck (crab mode) that Tesla is currently working on. This feature coupled with the solar charging ability will make the Cybertruck a true off-road machine and a perfect vehicle for camping.
But I bet Elon Musk is being very careful in making this statement here. Until February last year, there were more than 535,000 reservations of the Tesla Cyberruck tracked by a public tracker. A few months later, the number crossed the 700k+ mark.
Like Trevor from Tesla Owners Online, I am also confident that the Cybertruck will be a huge hit. Being part of the Tesla Community and writing about the company and Elon Musk for more than 5 years now, I am sure the Cybertruck will succeed, I have seen the enthusiasm for it. It is actually one of the most polarizing products in recent history but the potential market is as huge as its haters, maybe bigger.
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