Tesla Cybertruck prototype was spotted around California with a new black tonneau cover. It is starting to look more refined as the production date gets closer. In other recent times, Cybtertruck prototypes are being seen around California. The production is expected to start this summer.
Every time there is a prototype, a new design feature could be in the production version. A few of these updates are an updated front-end and the monstrous wiper returning on a recent sighting or the jacked-up air suspension spotted a few days ago. Now a new sighting, this time aerial, gives us a great look at the top of the Cybertruck, which appears to feature a new black tonneau cover. Many recent Tesla Cybertruck prototypes didn’t have a bed cover and this one appears to be darker than those previously spotted.
It could potentially be the production one. The tonneau cover is supposed to be automatically retractable and robust enough for someone to be able to stand on it. Furthermore, it is supposed to also have solar cells in it, or at least to have an option for solar cells in it. After the launch of the Cybertruck, CEO Elon Musk surprised many when he said that Tesla’s new electric pickup truck will have a solar roof option that will add 15 miles of range per day. Later, Tesla filed for a patent that showed the solar cells will be embedded inside the retractable tonneau cover.
Production
Tesla recently said that it aims to bring the Cybertruck to production this summer, but possibly there wouldn’t be significant deliveries until 2024 when the automaker will ramp up to volume production. When Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck back in 2019, Tesla said that the electric pickup truck would make it to market by the end of 2021. As the deadline approached, the automaker confirmed that production slipped to 2022.
CEO Elon Musk later said that Tesla was targeting a start of production for the electric pickup truck in “late 2022” at Gigafactory Texas. With the focus clearly on bringing the Model Y to production at the factory, and that is delayed as well, it appeared likely that the Cybertruck production timeline could also slip. Now during Tesla’s conference call for the release of its Q4 2022 financial results, CEO Elon Musk was asked if Tesla still planned to start production of the Cybertruck this year. The response indicated that the production could happen in 2023 and that the initial production will be slow.