What changes needed to be made to the radical Tesla Cybertruck to turn it into a production reality? Thanks to a leak overnight the answer seems to be: quite a bit, but not as much as we would’ve thought.
A walkaround video, as well as some still photos, were posted overnight on Cybertruck Owners Club forum, all of which were seemingly taken by a Tesla employee.
This prototype’s silhouette is true to the concept unveiled with much fanfare by CEO Elon Musk in November 2019.
2022 prototype 
2019 concept
Up front there are a host of differences, including a thicker full width light bar.
To handle the small issue of rain and snow, there’s a single wiper blade to help clear the pickup’s massive windscreen. It looks as though the wiper will rest in a vertical position, possibly to the detriment of the car’s aerodynamics.
The black front bumper is deeper than on the 2019 concept, and features a larger air intake. The gap between the bumper and the stainless steel body includes neatly disguised indicator lights.
From the video we can see the cut lines at the front, which indicate the entire bonnet, light bar and front face lift up to reveal the Cybertruck’s front trunk or frunk.
As has been well publicised, the Cybertruck now includes wing mirror units, as required by US regulations. These, according to Musk, can easily be removed by owners.
There are production-ready wheels and tyres on this car. The side sills are thicker than before, and the concept’s pop-out door handles have vanished.
Instead there are sensors built into the B- and C-pillar, which allow for door operation and can sense the presence of an approved phone to unlock the car.
Compared to the 2019 car, the side windows on this prototype seem to sit a little deeper into the car.
The rear of the Cybertruck has a large tray with a powered cover that follows the vehicle’s roof line. The tailgate is button operated, and is hinged to either lie flat or angle downwards so owners can ride their four-wheelers or bikes into the cargo bed.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported production of the Cybertruck has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2023, with the company busy engineering additional features so it can properly tackle a rash of new challengers, include the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV and the smaller Rivian R1T.
We expect to learn more about the Cybertruck’s features and timing when Tesla has its earnings call later this month.
While the Cybertruck is designed for single-, dual-, tri- and quad-motor configurations, it’s the latter that will probably go into production first.
