Tesla held the Cyber Rodeo event on Thursday, April 7, in celebration of the official opening of the electric automaker’s new factory in Austin, Texas. The event features music, fireworks, and drones flying in the formation of the automaker’s vehicles. Elon Musk appeared wearing a cowboy hat and dark sunglasses to discuss the company’s past, present, and future. Towards the end, we got to see the updated Tesla Cybertruck prototype, but unfortunately, they weren’t going to risk smashing the window this time around.
The first big announcement to come from Musk’s presentation was that a wide beta of Tesla’s Full Self Driving software would be coming later this year. Additionally, he brought up the massive size of the Texas factory, which measures giant 338 million square feet. If standing vertically, it would be 3,826 feet (1,166 meters) tall. Musk claims that when fully operational, the factory in Texas should be able to make around 1 million units a year. Around 500,000 would be the Model Y. Musk has also stated that the Cybertruck will go on sale in 2023 and will also be manufactured from the new plant.
Tesla Cybertruck: New Features
The Cybertruck doesn’t look too different from the previously spotted prototype. Musk notes that there aren’t any handles on the doors. Instead, the pickup knows that the owner is there and will open accordingly. Additionally, a short video from the Cybertruck Owners club showcases Tesla’s electric truck moving at low speeds. If you look closely, you can see the rear wheels turning a few degrees in the opposite direction of the front wheels. We don’t see anything drastic like that of the “Crab Walk” mode on the GMC Hummer EV, but the subtle effect assists maneuverability, which is honestly all most people need.
Considering the surge of competition, the Tesla Cybertruck will undoubtedly need to step up its game in the future as the Hummer has its fun feature, as will the Rivian with the Tank Turn and K-Turn. Even Ford will have their own four-wheel steering features, which will set the stainless steel truck behind the competition in that department.
