A Tesla Cybertruck prototype was recently found abandoned by the roadside, providing an unexpected opportunity to peek under the proverbial hood. A passerby named Wayne shared images of the Cybertruck's suspension with Electrek, giving us a clearer picture of Tesla's plans for the much-anticipated electric pickup. We will couple Electrek's takeaways with an analysis by the renowned automotive experts at Munro Live.
Bastien Theron, CEO of Theron, a manufacturer of electric ATVs, told Electrek Tesla seems to be embracing a straightforward design, focusing on robustness rather than complex hydraulic solutions like some competitors, such as Rivian.
The images reveal the presence of an anti-roll bar and an actuator to modify damping dynamically. Interestingly, the Cybertruck's rear lower A-arm is constructed from two pieces of welded steel, contrasting the casting at the front. This, however, could be specific to the prototype.
Munro Live's Insightful Breakdown
Munro Live's in-depth analysis (video below) of these pictures adds layers of understanding to the bare components. Led by Sandy Munro, an automotive engineering expert with years of experience, the team dissected the images, providing detailed insights into materials, design, and potential performance.
According to Munro Live, the Cybertruck's suspension employs high-strength materials carefully selected to balance weight and durability. The control arms, in particular, appear engineered using top-notch metals that promise resilience without excess bulk.
The suspension's design also stands out. Munro notes the unique geometry and layout, emphasizing Tesla's approach to efficiency and performance. This innovative design could be key to delivering the Cybertruck's promised capabilities.
Munro Live's examination of the Cybertruck's suspension suggests it's crafted for both on-road comfort and off-road prowess. The team believes the substantial shock absorbers and precisely engineered control arms may provide a smooth highway experience and rugged trail performance.
Innovations Behind the Suspensions
Tesla is no stranger to innovation, with every model pushing the boundaries of what's possible. The Cybertruck is shaping up to be no exception. Beyond just the obvious strong and simple design spotted by Electrek, the Cybertruck's suspension system hints at more beneath the surface.
Tesla's decision to avoid the hydraulic solutions of its competitors may seem counter-intuitive. However, Munro Live's deep dive suggests this is a deliberate choice, perhaps favoring long-term reliability over complexity.
Weight and Efficiency
Tesla ensures that the vehicle remains efficient without compromising durability by choosing high-strength, lightweight materials for the Cybertruck's suspension, as Munro Live indicates.
Rivian's complex hydraulic suspension offers impressive adaptive capabilities but might present long-term reliability issues. Tesla's more straightforward approach could be advantageous in such scenarios.
Cybertruck recently exposed suspension system, scrutinized by outlets like Electrek and industry experts like Munro Live, is just one of many innovative aspects of this futuristic pickup. As we move closer to its official release, the Cybertruck promises to redefine what electric vehicles—and pickups—are capable of.
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There are a few features to keep in mind when taking your Tesla through a car wash, but Tesla’s Car Wash Mode makes it easy by enabling or disabling several features for you. These settings don’t only prevent damage to your vehicle, such as locking the charge port door so that it doesn’t automatically open when a cleaning brush touches it, but they also improve the experience by recirculating the air in the vehicle to prevent cleaning chemical smells from coming in.
Car Wash Mode makes it easy by giving you a checklist of items and their real-time status, alerting you of any important items, such as your trunk being open.
When activated from Controls > Service > Car Wash Mode, it performs a list of actions:
Automatically closes all windows
Locks the charge port door to prevent accidental opening
While Car Wash Mode monitors more than a handful of items, it doesn’t continuously check the status of your windows. When you first enter Car Wash Mode, the vehicle will automatically roll up any open windows. However, it won’t alert you if a window has been lowered after Car Wash Mode was enabled. This could spell disaster for your vehicle's interior, as one user found out.
Lincoln posted a video on X, demonstrating what happened to his friend and requesting that Tesla add open windows to the list of flags in Car Wash Mode.
Tesla’s Troy R. Jones, VP of North America Sales and Service, noticed the post and decided to take action, offering to pass on the suggestion to the vehicle software team.
Good recommendation. Sharing with the team. Thanks
While Troy’s response doesn’t confirm the feature being added in a future update, it’ll at least be put in front of the software team to potentially address.
Tesla could add this window-specific solution in several ways. Tesla could add this as another on-screen flag while the vehicle is in Car Wash Mode, simply alerting the driver that there’s a window open. However, they could also go one step further and lock the rear windows to prevent accidental opening while Car Wash Mode is enabled.
In case of an emergency, Tesla could present an on-screen button that pops up when a user tries to open a window while Car Wash Mode is activated, letting the driver override Car Wash Mode.
We’re interested to see what Tesla would do here, as these little quality-of-life changes really improve the end-user experience. What else would you like to see added to Car Wash Mode?
Tesla offers a range of home energy products — from the widely used Wall Connector to the Powerwall and the innovative Solar Roof. Now, for the first time, a unique residential development in Houston, Texas, combines all of these technologies — and more — to move toward energy self-sufficiency.
Self-Sufficient
This community, located in Oaks of Shady Acres and built by Utopia Homes, consists of just 11 townhomes, each designed using Tesla technology to be self-sufficient. Utopia has equipped the homes with Solar Roofs, Powerwalls, and Wall Connectors to complete the entire ecosystem.
Tesla’s Solar Roof replaces traditional roofing materials while doubling as a clean energy source during daylight hours. The best part is that it mimics the look of conventional shingles while improving durability and longevity. Any excess energy generated is stored in the home’s Powerwall 3 units, providing power when the sun is down.
Tesla's Solar Roof
Not a Tesla App
Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, which can charge any EV equipped with either a NACS or CCS port (through a J1772 adapter). If you added on a Cybertruck with Powershare (more vehicles will support Powershare in the future), you’d have a backup system that would last an extremely long time on batteries alone.
A Powerwall 3 stores about 13.5 kWh of energy, while a Cybertruck has a battery pack of 123 kWh, which is roughly equivalent to about nine Powerwalls. In addition, the Cybertruck could be used as a “mobile battery pack,” which can get additional energy from Superchargers and bring it back to the home if there’s an extended power outage.
Utopia markets these homes with “100% energy security,” - but they’re still grid-connected. However, they appear to have made quite a point with this - as many people in Texas, with its notoriously unstable electricity grid - were excited to get into these homes.
Sadly, these homes still include a gas range, so they’re not entirely green and disconnected. This likely comes down to the fact that powering an induction range alongside a heat pump in the winter could draw more energy than Powerwall 3 is capable of outputting instantaneously.
Attention Getters
These 11 homes attracted a lot of attention - according to a broker working on Utopia’s team, they had requests to see or buy these homes coming from across the country. Priced around $544,900, these homes are about $150,000 higher than Houston’s median list pricing for similarly sized townhomes, but the benefits are clear for many buyers who will recoup these additional costs over the home’s life.
Utopia has acknowledged the demand for Tesla-powered and future-proofed homes like these and is already planning to build more in the future. This is an excellent showcase of what an electric-powered future could look like, and we’re excited to see more of these types of homes and neighborhoods in the future.
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