The Tesla Cybertruck is close to production after its unveiling by CEO Elon Musk over three years ago, according to Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen in a podcast interview.
The Tesla Cybertruck, originally unveiled in 2019, has faced multiple delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying supply chain disruptions. Despite CEO Elon Musk stating the design is final, Tesla continues to make slight modifications as it gears up for early production in mid-2023, with full-scale production scheduled for the end of the year.
According to Tesla’s Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen, the company is nearing production of the Cybertruck, despite delays in the project. He shared this in a podcast interview with Ryan McCaffrey on Ride the Lightning.
After McCaffrey asked whether the Cybertruck was finished “from a design perspective,” von Holzhausen answered, “Yeah. Basically, yes.”
McCaffrey stated that production was planned to begin within six months, and von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer, did not confirm or deny any potential delays in the initial manufacturing stages. He did mention that Tesla is always open to making changes or improvements to their vehicles and will not hesitate to do so.
“We work consistently through the entire process, and we’re constantly working on every detail,” he said, “and the refinement of that. So, and we learn things through the engineering phases and the manufacturing development phases that we can improve on, and so we do.”
During an interview, von Holzhausen, confirmed that the Cybertruck has yet-to-be-revealed features and that the company is considering adding Yoke steering as a standard option. While prototypes have been seen with the Yoke steering, Tesla has not yet confirmed it for the vehicle. von Holzhausen stated that it “makes sense.”
Recently, Tesla made Yoke steering an optional feature in its Model S and Model X, allowing customers to choose a traditional steering wheel instead of the polarizing Yoke option. The company has made significant progress in Cybertruck production, including the delivery of IDRA Giga Press machinery to its Gigafactory Texas production facility. Tesla plans to use a 9,000-ton Giga Press from IDRA for Cybertruck manufacturing, which may have been delivered to the factory in Texas earlier this month.
