What changes to production Cybertruck ?

[dhrivnak]

Put in a real steering wheel. Imagine backing into a campsite looking backward trying to steer with a half steering wheel. I also hope the come out with a midsized one as well. Sometimes big is just too big for the job.

 

[keeney]

Yeah that voids everything they accomplished with that amazing design. .. .

My point being that they did not accomplish convenience of using it as an actual pickup truck the way I actually use the truck I own now. They built a large hatch back SUV.

As to aerodynamics, check out the Mythbusters episode where they tried out differing configurations of pickup trucks with tailgate down. Tailgate up without a topper was the surprising winner as I recall. It wasn't actually that bad.

I think they could satisfy both kinds of buyers by making an optional topper.

 

[woodguyatl]

Since nowadays many owners add Paint Protection Film to protect the surfaces of their beloved vehicles, it would be nice for Tesla to offer factory paint protection film as an option. I for one would gladly pay it.

Why would you add PPF to raw stainless steel that you can buff with some steel wool or sandpaper from Home Depot to get ride of scratch?

 

[woodguyatl]

From a bunch of articles:

• Tt’s not street legal. The vehicle lacks side mirrors — though the government may eventually approve rear-looking cameras instead of mirrors — windshield wipers and a front bumper. And its single light bar in the front and back would not pass safety standards. There did not appear to be any turn signals or a third brake light. The tires also appear to protrude from their wheel wells, which is illegal. The pickup’s sharp angles and ultra-hard material could also be a safety issue, with no obvious crumple zones to absorb the impact of a crash, which could affect the safety not only of those inside the Cybertruck, but any vehicle or pedestrian it hits.

• Just a quick glimpse at Cybertruck tells you everything you need to know about its road-readiness. A street-legal front bumper seems to be missing and the tires are clearly protruding from the wheel wells, which isn't allowed on roads in the U.S. Some other obvious, safety features, like side-view mirrors, are also missing.
  
  I'm all for companies showcasing concept vehicles and refining designs as time goes on. But does Tesla really believe the Cybertruck in its current form would be allowed on roads? And if not, what will need to change over time to get it there? We haven't been provided a real answer.
  
  
• Its wheels and tires look like they’re straight out of a sci-fi movie, and the setup doesn’t look like it would be viable for production. The steering wheel looks like something out of a race car, so we imagine plenty of interior changes will be coming, too,
  
  But we assume the overall design and materials are production-intent, and we're curious about the safety aspects of the truck’s design, so we talked to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) about it.
  
  First off, all of the sharp angles made us wonder how the truck will interact with pedestrians in a crash. “That’s definitely an issue with SUVs and pickups. Pedestrians are more likely to get killed by them. But I’m not sure if the angles would necessarily contribute to that,” Joe Young, IIHS media relations associate told us.
  
  David Zuby, IIHS chief research officer, also pointed out there is no U.S. federal requirement that vehicles need to meet to interact with pedestrians in a certain way, as there is in Europe and elsewhere. “It’s hard to say whether this will be worse or better than being hit by a different type of truck,” Young adds.

What is the problem with the light rail assuming it has all of the right indicators?

Regarding the tires extending past the wells and interactions with pedestrians, do those apply to trucks? Here in GA it is very, very common for trucks to have tires that stick out past the wheel wells.

 

[wbhokie]

What is the problem with the light rail assuming it has all of the right indicators?

Regarding the tires extending past the wells and interactions with pedestrians, do those apply to trucks? Here in GA it is very, very common for trucks to have tires that stick out past the wheel wells.

The problem with a lot of our laws is how they are written. They aren't written generically, like "vehicle must have a means to see side blind spots" or "vehicle must have frontwards illumination" they are written specifically like "vehicle must have side mirrors" or "vehicle must have pair of headlights". It doesn't matter if the technology provided meets the same goals, it doesn't check the box in the written law. Those are the things that need to be changed. Laws don't automatically change with the times, that's why we still have laws like "it is illegal to ride your donkey down main street after dark" in some places.

There will definitely be changes to the design. Some of the things though, I'm not so sure about. The comments about the tires, I see pickups with tires extruding beyond the wheel wells multiple times on a daily basis. (Of course this may be done aftermarket by the owners)

At this point the car IS a concept car, but I think the final design will look very similar to today with only minor changes and a lot of "Fill in the blank details".
Of course it will have a windshield wiper, but I bet it will use the new design Tesla just patented.
It does have turn signals.
The steering "wheel" need to be round! (Almost everyone drives one handed half the time with their hand at the top or bottom of the wheel)
Where do you put your phone? I am willing to bet there will be a wireless charger somewhere eventually.
It's a truck, it needs to support a winch.

 

[keeney]

I predict that the wheel/tires shown at the unveiling won't be the base configuration that gets you 500 mile range. Pushing those wide knobby things down the highway at 70 mph generates a lot of air resistance and noise which is just wasting energy. To get the range you will likely need narrower tires and wheels more suitable for highway use.

I would imagine the base tire/wheel package they offer will fit better under the fenders as well.

 

[arghx7]

There's no way the basic triangle shape changes for a flat roof. That basically destroys the concept. The air suspension will lower the vehicle enough that you can at least partially access the bed from the side. That's one of the key defining features of the Cyber Truck.

 

[wbhokie]

I predict that the wheel/tires shown at the unveiling won't be the base configuration that gets you 500 mile range. Pushing those wide knobby things down the highway at 70 mph generates a lot of air resistance and noise which is just wasting energy. To get the range you will likely need narrower tires and wheels more suitable for highway use.

I would imagine the base tire/wheel package they offer will fit better under the fenders as well.

Yeah, I can see that. I think there are going to be a LOT of configuration options for this vehicle. We already know about Camping Options, ATV, 3 Battery Sizes. FSD, maybe 2 Solar options. I'm guessing some "Truck" options like tool box or winch maybe. Tires? There are years until production so I think they will just keep coming as Elon gets ideas thrown at him. I expect a "Warthog Edition"

I think the reason the tri-motor design is a year later isn't due to the motors, it's due to the 500 miles.

 

[keeney]

There's no way the basic triangle shape changes for a flat roof. That basically destroys the concept. The air suspension will lower the vehicle enough that you can at least partially access the bed from the side. That's one of the key defining features of the Cyber Truck.

The triangle shape chopped off to make the bed more open without changing the proportions of the cab looked even more dorky. I spent like 12 minutes on it. A pro vehicle designer could probably make it look a little better.

If the defining feature of the Cybertruck is that the functionality of the cargo area sucks for how people who actual use a truck use a truck, it won't be something I would be interested in buying.

If they are making a vehicle to sell to people who just want a big 4wd vehicle to drive around without ever hauling anything in it, then sure, make it any shape that looks trendy.

 

[arghx7]

most people who buy light duty trucks just throw bags of mulch in it once a year, and most people with heavy duty trucks mount all sorts of custom stuff to it anyway that interferes with reaching over the side of the bed, or they just use the truck for towing. how many people really find reaching over the side to be a dealbreaker? It's mostly a vocal minority posturing on the internet.

 

[Saghost]

most people who buy light duty trucks just throw bags of mulch in it once a year, and most people with heavy duty trucks mount all sorts of custom stuff to it anyway that interferes with reaching over the side of the bed, or they just use the truck for towing. how many people really find reaching over the side to be a dealbreaker? It's mostly a vocal minority posturing on the internet.

The main reason we were reaching over the side was to grab things out of the “saddlebags” cargo box straddling the sides just behind the cab.

Those things would likely go in the Frunk just as easily in a Cybertruck, or possibly in the Trunk for seldom used items.

My biggest question is whether a 5th wheel will be feasible. I don’t have one now, but with 14k towing it might be useful, and the sail panels might make it difficult or impossible depending on the pin height and clearance.

 

[MP3Mike]

The main reason we were reaching over the side was to grab things out of the “saddlebags” cargo box straddling the sides just behind the cab.

Those things would likely go in the Frunk just as easily in a Cybertruck, or possibly in the Trunk for seldom used items.

Actually I would think that you would put that stuff in the sail compartments to keep it close to the vault.

 

[jerry33]

Since nowadays many owners add Paint Protection Film to protect the surfaces of their beloved vehicles, it would be nice for Tesla to offer factory paint protection film as an option. I for one would gladly pay it.

1. They did once, and it was a failure because it only covered half the hood, and wasn't applied very well. Proper PPF installation is still an art form and requires a skilled person to install if it is to look good.
2. One of the advantages of the Cybertruck is that no PPF is required.

 

[jerry33]

There will definitely be changes to the design. Some of the things though, I'm not so sure about. The comments about the tires, I see pickups with tires extruding beyond the wheel wells multiple times on a daily basis. (Of course this may be done aftermarket by the owners).

Fender flares count as not sticking out.

 

[DarthPierce]

With such a slanted windshield, and likely some sort of hydrophobic coating, would this be needed on a frequent basis in rainy climates?

Living in SoCal, I use my wipers a couple times a year with my model x lol.

I'm sure it's some sort of legal requirement too.

Most people do not live in SoCal.

Wipers are not just for rain and will absolutely be needed. The low slant actually makes it easier for rain and snow to stay on the windshield since there's a lot less air pressure (drag) to push it off. I got 18 inches of snow last night. There's not the slightest chance that a hydrophobic coating nor a couple of lasers can keep up with that. The only way you're clearing that without a wiper is if it has an absolutely insanely powered air-blade.

 

[JakeTrilla]

I hope not much at all changes. It is unique, it’s a light to mid duty “truck” that’ll haul 90% of the populations DIY project material, comfortably and safely. The technology is amazing for the starting price, no ICE truck is offering similar technology.

Going high end on the scale 500 miles of range is perhaps optimistic, but still quite superior to the current market offerings.

So far Tesla (albeit sometimes very slowly) has kept its promises to its customers. I’ve never bought a vehicle before that’s gotten faster and more efficient as it got older, but my Model 3 has.

Sure it’s totally different than any truck on the market, but it’s also quite different to believe I haven’t visited a gas pump since last year.

So far I’m impressed with the way Tesla is conducting business, and this “truck” is no less impressive...

 

[Saghost]

Actually I would think that you would put that stuff in the sail compartments to keep it close to the vault.

Depends on how those open. From the prototype I was thinking the doors are on the inside of the panels, opening into the Vault. That’d make them the most inconvenient piece of the storage to reach from outside the truck.

 

[SouthSeas]

Put in a real steering wheel. Imagine backing into a campsite looking backward trying to steer with a half steering wheel. I also hope the come out with a midsized one as well. Sometimes big is just too big for the job.

You make it sound like you can actually see out of the windows in that thing! My X is hard to back up except for the reverse camera. They did a great job with that. I only wish they had cams on the corners to help me see on coming traffic as I back out. Some drivers think a parking lot is a freeway and they should be able to drive by me as if I could see them before they are on top of me. At least in the truck you would be sitting up high and likely can see over the vehicles parked next to you, but not always.

 

[Saghost]

Most people do not live in SoCal.

Wipers are not just for rain and will absolutely be needed. The low slant actually makes it easier for rain and snow to stay on the windshield since there's a lot less air pressure (drag) to push it off. I got 18 inches of snow last night. There's not the slightest chance that a hydrophobic coating nor a couple of lasers can keep up with that. The only way you're clearing that without a wiper is if it has an absolutely insanely powered air-blade.

Coanda pressure washer sheet?

Flood the whole surface with high speed attached washer fluid flow...

 

[DarthPierce]

Coanda pressure washer sheet?

Flood the whole surface with high speed attached washer fluid flow...

Sure if you want to go through a few gallons of washer fluid per day