The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently granted Tesla a design patent for the Cybertruck’s wheel covers. This exciting news was announced on March 7, 2023, and the patent is valid for the next 15 years.
When the Cybertruck was initially unveiled, the prototype featured unique wheel covers on its massive 35″ tires. Unfortunately, subsequent prototypes displayed only the “naked” wheels, which left many to believe that the covers had been abandoned. This speculation increased when the latest beta version of the Cybertruck was spotted in Palo Alto last month, which CEO Elon Musk claimed was very close to the production form.
See also: Tesla Registers Patent for Cybertruck’s Novel Windshield
However, Tesla has now put the rumors to rest by showcasing the Cybertruck with the same wheel covers as the original prototype during the Investor Day event. In another promising indication that the covers will be included in the production, Tesla has secured a design patent for the covers today. (h/t: @SawyerMerritt)
The USPTO website posted the patent approval, which states that the aero covers were created by Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, along with Julien Bilodeau, David Imai, and Ivan Lampkin. Although the patent lacks technical specifications on the aero covers, Tesla claims that the patent covers “the ornamental design for a vehicle wheel, as shown and described,” and has shared various diagrams.
See also: The design of Tesla Cybertruck’s smaller variant spotted at Petersen Museum
It is intriguing to note that the design patent application was filed on November 21, 2019, the same day that Tesla initially unveiled the Cybertruck to the world.
You can read image and the full patent below.
