Tesla CEO Elon Musk bared an intriguing new feature of the company's long-delayed Cybertruck that is akin to a recently announced offering from a different automaker.
In a series of tweets on Friday, Musk revealed details about the still upcoming Cybertruck, which is set to be manufactured at the Tesla Gigafactory currently under construction in Austin, Texas and rolled out in late 2022. This electric truck had been initially announced for unveiling by the end of this year.
Musk: Tesla Cybertruck Will Have '4-Motor Variant' That Drives Like a Crab
After tweeting a "4-motor variant" having independent motors at each wheel, Musk said the Cybertruck will have both front and rear-wheel steering that would "not just (turn) like a tank (but) drive diagonally like a crab."
Initial production will be 4 motor variant, with independent, ultra fast response torque control of each wheel
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 3, 2021
Interestingly, GMC Hummer EV introduced the same "CrabWalk" abilities on its electrified Hummer truck, Mashable reported. In this mode, the Hummer can turn all four wheels at the 10-degree angle, and move diagonally just like a crab. A Hummer EV pickup prototype was spotted in the Poison Spider Trail in Moab, Utah, showing the truck briefly using the Crab Mode to change lanes or move within the lane.
Read also: Tesla Cybertruck Spy Shots Reveal New Exterior Design: Fog Lights, No Aero Covers and MORE
Musk used the term "crab" in apparent reference to the Hummer feature, but made no mention of the upscale truck brand. Hummer had exclusively "branded" the feature as a "CrabWalk" as the name of the mode through its marketing efforts since its launch last year.
Tesla Muted Cybertruck Development Efforts After Production Delays
Tesla took out all information about the Cybertruck from its official website since the production delays began in October. It had been first revealed in November 2019 having single, double, and triple motor configurations. It is made of stainless steel that is used in rockets, with Musk touting several hundred thousands of orders since Tesla began pre-orders.
After it lied low on Cybertruck development, Tesla was expected to improve on their concept truck, updating on new specs and pricing before the target launch next year. Its three-wheel highest end version had a projected price of $69,900, with a 500-mile range.
These new changes are now evident with Musk's tweets, with the "4-motor variant, with independent, ultra-fast response torque control of each wheel." This will replace the 3-motor version as the Cybertruck's top-of-the-line model.
This apparently is Tesla's reaction to the evolving market for electric pickup trucks since Tesla announced the Cybertruck in 2019.
Once boasting that it will roll out the first electric truck that year, Tesla had since lagged behind the likes of Rivian with its R1T and GMC with the Hummer EV, which will most likely hit the roads before the Cybertruck with deliveries planned this month, Electrek revealed in a report. These offerings feature quad-motor individual engines powering each wheel, which Musk had now bared will be in the Tesla Cybertruck as well.
Musk previously confirmed all-wheel steering for the Cybertruck when the vehicle's program was updated.
