Tesla Cybertruck documents reportedly leaked and it throws light on the reason why the truck is taking so long to hit the markets.
According to the leaked documents, an Alpha prototype of the vehicle reportedly has problems with basic elements such as braking, suspension, and body sealing. The vehicle in question is however expected to enter production finally somewhere this year.
Tesla Cybertruck Documents Leaked
When the Cybertruck was initially announced in November 2019, the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk said that he expected production to begin in late 2021. But leaked Tesla documents that were examined by Wired however suggest that the company was still struggling with the performance of basic elements of a preproduction “alpha” version of the truck in January 2022 which is inclusive of its braking, body sealing, and suspension.
More than a million customers are thought to have put down a $100 deposit to reserve the Cybertruck since its infamous unveiling back in 2019, during which Musk reportedly smashed two of its windows with metal balls in a failed demonstration of its durability. And although it is very much unlikely to be the best-selling vehicle of Tesla, the eventual release of the Cybertruck will be seen as a symbolic victory for a company that has not shipped a new consumer model ever since Model Y of 2020.
Contents of the Reported Leaked Documents
Yet the documents, which reportedly came from the same leak that was reported on by the German newspaper Handelsblatt, suggested that the development of the cybertruck has been far from smooth. The prototype version of the truck which was tested in January 2022 had problems with braking, for instance, which is characterized by “excessive pedal travel and inconsistent stop,” “excessive pitch during friction braking,” and problems with braking while turning.
Sealing the vehicle on the other hand also appears to have been another type of challenge, which is yet another important element for keeping both weather and noise out of the cabin. “There are a number of areas that we do not have a clear path to sealing,” the documents reportedly state. The prototype vehicle in question also had problems with its suspension, with the report noting a “significant gap to targets” in some areas of performance, as per Wired.
The Struggles and Challenges of the Development of the Cybertruck
The fact that the development of the cybertruck has been quite challenging will not come as a surprise to anyone who has since been following its development. The truck has an incredibly polarizing design that has led to intense scrutiny around normally simple elements such as windshield wipers. Its angular body also is made of stainless steel, which is noted by the New York Times as more expensive and heavier than the steel that is typically used in car manufacturers, and is “expensive and difficult to shape and weld.”
Telsa Cybertruck Delivery Event
That being said, Tesla which is the most valuable automaker in the world right now has the financial resources to address all of these difficulties. Elon Musk has however scheduled a Cybertruck delivery event for the third quarter of this year, with mass production expected to kick off in 2024. Electrek reports that the company is however targeting the production of 375,000 Cybertrucks a year. For context, you should know that Tesla is targeting 1.8 million total deliveries in 2023. Wired’s report is well worth reading in its entirety for all of the messy details associated with Telsa’s Cybertruck.
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