Cybertruck Production Update
With the summer Cybertruck production date steadily approaching, we’re starting to catch glimpses of feature testing that we haven’t before - like images of the enormous front trunk - or “frunk” - and some video of the truck’s giant windshield wiper being put through its paces.
On April 13th, we were treated to sightings of exactly that - as twitter user Greggertruck posted an image of the Cybertruck’s frunk open during some testing - and Brad Sloan on YouTube posted a drone flyover with an excellent view of the truck’s windshield wiper being tested on an wind-tunnel stand.
Let’s start with Greggertruck’s frunk image. We’ve seen photoshops before but Greggertruck isn’t known for putting out fakes. More to the point, the size of the hatch in this picture lines up with information reported to attendees at the Investor Day event on March 1st.
At the event, the frunk was described as being slightly larger than the one on Ford’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup, and that it would open in a similar way - lifting the front grill and headlights. And - while it’s hard to tell from this angle - it’s possible that the Cybertruck’s frunk extends slightly underneath the dash.
And then of course we have this very clean video from Brad Sloan, showing off the Cybertruck’s large, mono-windshield wiper.
From overhead, Brad’s drone can see the truck on a testing stand placed at the business end of a wind tunnel. These apparatus are usually used for testing aerodynamics and weather effects - like we’re seeing here with the wiper being exercised to see how well it clears off that expansive Cybertruck windshield.
An employee stands off to the side and looks like they have a spray bottle for either applying moisture to the windshield or to apply wiper fluid for the mechanism. To its credit though, the wiper does appear to clear off just about all of the viewing area.
This shot of the wiper in use is a little strange - not because Tesla shouldn’t be testing this equipment - but because it’s been heavily implied by the company and CEO Elon Musk that this huge, solo wiper blade would not be in the final production design.
However, with summer closing in, maybe Tesla has decided that the mono-wiper is the best option for now, and have decided to stick with it - at least for the first production run.
These two instances of Cybertruck testing show that Tesla is starting to finish several design tasks that were not as much of a priority as things like the drivetrain or wheels - which means they are likely very close to finalising the beta prototype ahead of the first actual production tests.
And an increased focus on hiring for Cybertruck-related jobs is another indicator of this. More than 70 jobs are being advertised - covering roles like casting and stamping, body and general assembly, batteries, drive units, and yes, even paint.
We don’t know if this means Cybertruck will have some painted parts, or that the paint team will be developing different coatings for the Cybertruck’s stainless steel panels - but you don’t fill jobs like these without work being a real possibility. Summer’s coming fast.