Tesla briefly demonstrated the Cybertruck’s rear-wheel steering in a short video, but don’t blink because it’s barely noticeable.
Rear-wheel steering is fast becoming a must-have feature for electric pickups that are hitting the market.
GMC started the dance by demonstrating “crab mode” using the Hummer EV’s rear wheel steering.
Since then, several other automakers have announced rear-wheel steering, and Tesla followed suit with the Cybertruck last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last summer:
“We’re adding rear wheel steering so it can take tight corners and maneuver with great agility.”
The CEO has spoken about Tesla bringing several upgrades to the Cybertruck for the production version after it was pushed back to 2023.
Rear wheel steering is one of them, but the truck is also expected to have a quad motor version and more.
A new prototype of the Cybertruck has been spotted in recent months, showing off some of those upgrades like no door handles, but we’ve never seen rear-wheel steering in action until now.
Tesla was seen playing with the feature one of the Cybertrucks they brought to the Cyber Rodeo at Gigafactory Texas last week:
You have to look closely at the rear wheels here to see how they lean in and out, but they clearly do – it’s just not noticeable unless you know what you’re looking at.
Even a small 10 degree angle can have a big impact on maneuverability.
We expect Tesla to demonstrate some more impressive tricks later, like GM’s Crab Mode or Rivian’s Tank Turn.
Musk recently set a strong timeline for Cybertruck delivery in 2023 after multiple delays.
However, the automaker has yet to provide a concrete update on the electric pickup since it removed specs and pricing from its website last year.
While the prototype at Gigafactory Texas last week sported new features like rear-wheel steering, it didn’t appear to be a near-production version, particularly as far as the steel exoskeleton is concerned. The electric pickup apparently had bent steel body panels.
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