Production of the Tesla Cybertruck has been racked with delays, and now mass production isn’t scheduled to begin until sometime next year. However, progress is clearly happening, and a prototype version of the all-electric truck has been spotted on the streets of Palo Alto, California. It looks…. unique, to say the least.
A photo and short video of the truck was posted on Instagram by user ftronz, showing the Cybertruck from behind and declaring that “the monster exists.” We’ve seen various pictures and videos of Cybertruck prototypes in the past, but this is the first time we’ve seen it on what looks to be a public road. That suggests the car is in a road-worthy state, even if mass-production is still some way off.
As Slashgearpoints out, these posts also show some of the incremental progress that’s being made on the Cybertruck. For starters it appears as though the truck has the half-retracted tonneau cover over the bed.
We’ve yet to see a Cybertruck with a working cover, and there has been speculation that the rolling cover might be removed. The fact that this model has a half-retracted cover would seemingly refute this, though we still don’t see the rollable mechanism in action.
The other change of note is the presence of side mirrors. Almost all official Tesla material features the Cybertruck without them, even though the law requires at least one side mirror across the United States.
It’s long been confirmed the Cybertruck will come with removable side mirrors, and we’ve seen other prototypes with mirrors attached, but these ones look different.
Smaller and more discreet, and not too dissimilar from the ones on other Tesla models. In fitting with the theme of the Cybertruck, they are a little more pointed and angular than ones you’d see on, say, a Tesla Model Y.
The video itself also gives us an excellent view of the Cybertruck from the rear, which we haven’t really had before. Not to the same extent anyway. It’s a view that really emphasizes the unique design of the Cybertruck, and just how big the vehicle actually is.
That blocky angular design is definitely going to be a little controversial. While the Cybertruck might be the most unique-looking vehicle to hit the road in years, that look is not going to appeal to everyone. Because, let’s face it, it’s not a particularly elegant design — even compared to some of the other giant trucks on the road.
Tesla has previously promised that the first Cybertruck deliveries will begin this year, but we don’t know when or how many trucks will actually be produced. Mass production isn’t set to begin until 2024, so anyone that has a pending Cybertruck reservation isn’t likely to get their delivery for quite some time.
