It has been almost four years since the Tesla Cybertruck was presented to the world and while customer deliveries have still yet to commence, development of it is ramping up and a prototype is being put through its paces in the wintry conditions of New Zealand. The prototype in question is bathed in camouflage but there’s absolutely no way to confuse the Cybertruck with any other forthcoming EV. This prototype was recently filmed at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds close to Queenstown in the country’s South Island.
A handful of videos shared to Twitter show
the Cybertruck being driven on a snow-covered road. One of the clips also shows
the engineer behind the wheel testing out the four-wheel steering system and
gently sliding the truck back and forth in the slippery conditions.
Tesla can also be seen testing out the
Cybertruck on a large area of ice. As soon as it hits the ice, it begins to
slide but the driver is able to quickly keep it under control. Some pundits
online have suggested that Tesla could be testing how the car’s autonomous
driving systems react to being driven on snow and ice but it’s unclear if that
is actually the case.
Elon Musk says that production of the
Cybertruck will commence this year before ramping up throughout 2024.
Interestingly, no updated specifications about the truck have been released
since its original debut in concept guise back in late 2019. If no changes have
been made, we can expect the range to kick off with a single-motor RWD version
while those seeking additional performance and range will be offered
dual-motor, tri-motor, and quad-motor AWD versions. The flagship version could
have upwards of 1,000 km of range.
