Almost four years after its reveal in November 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck is still not being delivered to the estimated 2 million reservation holders who are reportedly waiting to get their hands on the angular all-electric pickup.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the sci-fi-inspired truck would probably get a dedicated launch event sometime at the end of the third quarter, but that has come and gone, and the shiny, Texas-made EV is still not ready for prime time.
However, there are multiple signs that the Austin-based company is finally preparing to put the thing into delivery-spec production, like sending out customized apparel for the launch team and churning out so-called “manufacturing confirmation” units that were supposed to be signed off on by the top management before turning on the assembly lines and get things moving.
With this being said, all that remains for brand enthusiasts, at least for now, are the occasional sightings posted online by people who follow the vehicle’s development closely. Sightings such as the one depicted in the video embedded at the top of this page, posted on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum by the user stumby, who caught a release candidate (RC) unit getting out of a parking spot after the sun had set.
In the 26-second-long clip, the truck’s rear-wheel steering setup can be seen doing its job even when reversing, virtually shortening the wheelbase of the vehicle and helping it make sharper turns at low speeds. Without the rear wheels changing direction, the driver would have probably had to do at least one more maneuver to get out of the parking spot.
It’s a very helpful feature, especially on a large vehicle like the Cybertruck, although it’s worth mentioning that some car manufacturers like Renault have equipped smaller cars with rear-wheel steering in the past. The previous-generation compact Megane hatchback, for instance, was available with RWS even though it measures roughly 172 inches (4.3 meters) long.
Another notable American electric truck that has four-wheel steering is the GMC Hummer EV, which can turn its rear wheels in either direction depending on the selected driving mode, allowing it to do the so-called Crab Walk, which basically means the car moves diagonally, or it can help the truck move around an off-road obstacle easier by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels – just like the Cybertruck does in the video above.
