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Latest Cybertruck videos show most complete version yet of Tesla's steel pickup, obvious flaws and oddities persist while production date looms

Tesla's Cybertruck looks to be nearing production status in its latest appearance at a shareholder meeting in Texas. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
Tesla's Cybertruck looks to be nearing production status in its latest appearance at a shareholder meeting in Texas. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
New videos of Tesla's Cybertruck have surfaced, and they reveal a number of tweaks to the design of the electric pickup truck, while further inspection also shows some glaring panel gaps and misalignment issues that will need to be corrected before the final production version. Panel gaps and quality control issues have become something of a meme when it comes to new Tesla releases, but hopefully the Cybertruck's long development time will help reduce teething troubles.

Numerous new videos of the Tesla Cybertruck have been posted online after the auto maker's most recent shareholder meeting at the Texas Gigafactory. The videos, shared by InsideEVs, reveal a Cybertruck that seems almost ready for production. Barring a few panel alignment issues, the Cybertruck looks rather sharp — despite a rounder front bumper — in its near-final form.

One video, shared by Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube, shows the headlight bar spanning the entire width of the front fascia between the top of where the grille would be and the hood, while the indicator lights and beams are cleverly hidden between the would-be-grille space and the bottom section of the bumper.

Comparing this latest, near-production prototype to the images on Tesla's site, it seems as though the bottom bumper and skid plate are more pronounced in the latest revision, with more ventilation and a pair of small protrusions that seem to act as forward-facing mudguards.

The door handles also appear to have been relocated to the black trim next to the mirrors rather than in the stainless steel door panel, while the charging port is also cleverly hidden in the black plastic wheel well trim over the left rear wheel. While the prototype does have side-view mirrors, there are also rear-facing cameras hidden in the front wheel well trim, potentially allowing buyers to remove the mirrors for a sleeker look where allowed. Overall, the vehicle seems to be a more practical interpretation of the initial design.

The completeness of the prototype doesn't mean the vehicle is without flaws that stem both from its prototype nature and its inherent design. For starters, the large panel that replaces a traditional grille looks slightly misaligned at the edges, and the top of the tailgate misses the top of the bed by a fair margin.

Aside from prototype woes, the comically large gigawiper has made another appearance, indicating once again that this will be the production equipment, and the diminutive rear windscreen is bound to present visibility problems, especially when the bed cover is closed. The hydraulic suspension setup is visible within the plastic-clad wheel arches which house wheels shod in Tesla's patented black wheel covers that should improve aerodynamics.

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Hopefully the panel alignment issues in this prototype don't persist into production. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
Hopefully the panel alignment issues in this prototype don't persist into production. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
The tailgate seems to need a fitment tweak, while a rear-view camera is discreetly hidden just below the rear light bar. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
The tailgate seems to need a fitment tweak, while a rear-view camera is discreetly hidden just below the rear light bar. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
There is a rear-view camera hidden in the front wheel well to act as a substitute for the side-view mirrors. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
There is a rear-view camera hidden in the front wheel well to act as a substitute for the side-view mirrors. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
The Cybertruck's door handles are cleverly hidden in the black plastic trim near the windows, probably saving cost as well as cleaning up visuals. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
The Cybertruck's door handles are cleverly hidden in the black plastic trim near the windows, probably saving cost as well as cleaning up visuals. (Image source: Farzad Mesbahi on YouTube)
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 05 > Latest Cybertruck videos show most complete version yet of Tesla's steel pickup, obvious flaws and oddities persist while production date looms
Julian van der Merwe, 2023-05-17 (Update: 2023-05-17)