The first Tesla Cybertrucks are now set to come with four electric motors in total.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter the first production examples of the Cybertruck will be a new quad-electric-motor variant “with independent, ultra fast response torque control of each wheel”.
Tesla recently removed the specification and pricing details of the Cybertruck, which was initially set to offer a choice of single-, dual- or tri-motor powertrains.
Musk had already announced earlier this year plans for the production Cybertruck to offer four-wheel steering.
“We’re adding rear wheel steering, so it can do tight turns & manoeuvre with high agility,” said Musk in a tweet from July 2021.
The quad-motor Cybertruck will also have some party tricks up its sleeve that sound eerily similar to the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV.
“[The Cybertruck] will have both front & rear-wheel steer, so no just like a tank – it can drive diagonally like a crab,” said Musk on Twitter in response to someone asking if the Cybertruck will be able to turn like a tank.
Rivian showed its ‘Tank Turn’ feature in late 2019 on its R1T electric pickup equipped with a quad-motor powertrain.
Initially set to be available in both R1T and R1S models, Rivian isn’t offering the Tank Turn feature at launch until safety concerns are ironed out.
Rivian R1T 
GMC Hummer EV
GMC on the other hand has been promoting its ‘Crab Walk’ feature that allows the Hummer EV to have its front and rear wheels steer at the same angle at low speeds, allowing you to diagonally move the vehicle.
It’s yet to be seen if these quad-motor features will actually make their way into the production-spec Cybertruck.
A recent change to the Cybertruck’s design was the addition of proper side mirrors, instead of camera side mirrors, on a prototype spied at an airport in California.
Musk conceded via tweet that the side mirrors are required by law but claims they’re designed to be easily removed.
It’s uncertain how many more changes the Cybertruck will receive before it reaches mass-production, but Musk has insisted it’ll reach volume production in 2023.
Production has continually been delayed since its reveal in 2019 due to supply chain shortages.
Although you can still place a refundable deposit of $150 in Australia, there’s no longer an option to pre-order a specific variant.
Tesla previously advertised the Cybertruck with three variants: a single-motor rear-wheel drive models, and dual- and tri-motor all-wheel drive models.
In the US, these were priced at US$39,900 (A$56,827), US$49,900 (A$71,069) and US$69,900 (A$99,554), respectively.
Originally, the single-motor rear-wheel drive model had a claimed range of 400km, 3.4 tonnes towing capacity, and a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) time of around 6.5 seconds.
The dual-motor AWD boosted range to 480km, towing capacity to 4.5 tonnes, and cut the 0-60mph time to 4.5 seconds, whereas the tri-motor AWD had a claimed range of 800km, 6.4 tonnes towing capacity, and a claimed 2.9 second sprint to 60mph.
All variants had a claimed 1600kg payload.
It’s uncertain what Musk has in store for the production-ready version of the Cybertruck apart from the quad-motor drivetrain and its features, as he continues to make “small improvements”.
