Solution-Max: Video of Cybertruck driving on California highway reveals more questions

Monday, December 9, 2019

Video of Cybertruck driving on California highway reveals more questions

A video just surfaced showing the Tesla Cybertruck driving around LA. Elon Musk is purportedly driving, but it’s not confirmed that he was behind the wheel while this video was filmed. However the video reveals several things.

Who's driving @ElonMusk or the Auto-Pilot?$TSLA pic.twitter.com/xvmyHPG8Ol

— GuruLeaks (@Guruleaks1) December 8, 2019

One, there’s no mirrors yet.

According to US regulations, passenger vehicles need to have a mirror inside and one on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The Cybertruck in this video does not have a driver’s side mirror.

When Musk unveiled the Cybertruck, he stated that the vehicle used a video camera for the rear-view camera, which is something other automakers are trying as well. Cadillac has done this for years. It works.

The lack mirror on the driver’s side is a bigger question. The vehicle used in the unveiling was missing exterior mirrors and the one in this video also lacks them too. It’s possible it uses a camera for the side mirrors though it’s yet to be announced. Other automakers including Audi have turned to cameras for European-spec’d vehicles as US-based vehicles must have a physical mirror.

Two, there’s a lot of body roll.

The video shows the driver taking a wide turn onto the street. In doing so, the Cybertruck appears to experience a large amount of body roll. A surprising amount, too.

The Cybertruck, like every other Tesla vehicle, has a bank of batteries on the bottom. Supposedly. If that’s the case, the bulk of the weight should be at the bottom, dropping the center of gravity and giving the vehicle a stable driving experience. In the Model X, this results in amazing protection from rolling over when impacted on the side.

The Cybertruck experienced a large amount of body roll with a wider wheel base than what’s allowed. During the unveiling, it was clear the Cybertruck’s tires were wider than the fenders. This is also not allowed by US standards as tires must be covered by fenders. I assumed Tesla would correct this in the final version and did this for stage presence and to improve stability in testing. The latest video shows a Cybertruck with tires also sticking out from the fenders. It’s not clear how far the tires protrude but so much so that the driver hits a traffic cone when turning into traffic. If the Cybertruck’s stance is narrowed, will the body roll be worse?

Also, the driver runs a red light because clearly the Cybertruck is living in a post-traffic light world.