The Tesla Cybertruck is coming later this year, and what we’ve heard so far suggests it’ll be a very impressive machine — albeit outrageously designed.
But it’s going to be even more impressive, with Elon Musk now confirming the all-electric truck will have a four wheel steering mode. That sounds almost identical to the GMC Hummer EV’s "crab mode."
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Crab mode is Hummer's driving mode that essentially lets you drive in a diagonal direction. It uses a combination of torque vectoring and rear wheel steering to accomplish this, and is built to help you get in and out of tight spots.
It’s the kind of thing that is especially useful off-road, where you don’t have the same level of consistency as asphalt.
A lot of comparisons can be made between the Tesla Cybertruck and GMC Hummer EV, but crab mode was one of the Hummer’s unique features. No more, apparently, at least according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk:
Friday afternoons are usually Tesla design studio time. Cybertruck will be almost exactly what was shown. We’re adding rear wheel steering, so it can do tight turns & maneuver with high agility.Lot of other great things coming.July 3, 2021
While Musk doesn’t mention the Hummer, the comparison is the first thing that comes to our minds. Especially since Musk mentioned increased agility and the ability for the Cybertruck to do tight turns.
However, without a visual display of how this will work, we can’t say for sure how similar it will be to Hummer’s crab mode. Tesla hasn’t confirmed that the Cybertruck will have torque vectoring either, though it’s certainly possible thanks to the twin rear-wheel motors.
Plus torque vectoring is available on the Tesla Model S Plaid, which could point to its inclusion on the top-end Cybertruck.
The Tesla Cybertruck is also set to come with over 500 miles of range, a super-strong exterior "exoskeleton" and enhanced durability that promises to stop a 9mm handgun round or a sledgehammer in their tracks. Just don’t go throwing any metal balls at the windows. The rear bed is also built for versatility, and adaptive air suspension should provide a softer ride off-road.
The Tesla Cybertruck will be available to purchase later this year, with prices starting at $49,900 for the dual-motor AWD model, while the tri-motor AWD model will cost $69,900. A cheaper single-motor version will be available sometime next year.
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