The Tesla Cybertruck is slowly becoming a real thing, it seems. After a black example got spotted at a Los Angeles cars and coffee event, and several prototypes have been seen testing in the weeks leading up to production, detailed photos are starting to trickle out about the strange electric truck. There’s no doubt: It’s weird. But the weirdest design feature is the massive, single windshield wiper arm.
There’s been some debate about whether Tesla would develop a massive single blade for the wiper arm. Doing so would circumvent a lot of conventional engineering wisdom, especially for replacement parts. It’s been a mystery since the wiper was first spotted on prototype Cybertrucks, and it’s one The Verge may have solved after getting a close look at the wiper arm in New York City.
In the photos, which can be seen on The Verge, it’s clear that the Cybertruck’s mega wiper arm has at least two separate blades. It’s stealthily concealed with a union piece that mimics the look of a wiper blade, but is two joined together rather than one long Frankenstein blade. It’s clearly at least two blades, but The Verge also claims to have gotten an unconfirmed tip that it’s actually three separate blades, and that the tip of the wiper arm “moves at dangerously fast speeds” to traverse the Cybertruck’s broad windshield.
Of course, it all stems from the fact that the Cybertruck is designed to be as strange as possible. Regardless of subjective opinion, it is a fascinating design object. No, I’m not saying it’s beautiful or ugly; I’m saying it makes a statement that most other vehicles don’t make. It’s the world’s only example of a real-life low-polygon count car. It’s so striking that people will love, hate, or be fascinated by it.
But one thing is for sure: That wiper arm is ridiculous.
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