Cybertruck Patents Reveal "Armor Glass," Retractable Solar Panels

Can Tesla interest you in a solar panel truck bed? How about some "armor glass?"

Solar Pickup

New details about Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck have emerged through the publication of several patent applications dating back to 2020, as spotted by The Verge.

The electric car company's brutalist pickup truck could come with fun options like solar panels integrated into the retractable cover for the truck bed — a sign that the pickup could still have plenty of surprises in store for potential customers.

Glass Sandwich

The applications also show how the truck's sleek user interface will change depending on the situation, as well as an "armor glass" material, a material that appears to be similar to the glass which was easily crushed during Tesla's unveiling of the truck back in 2019. At the time the company referred to a "Tesla armor glass."

The patent application for the latter describes the material as a "multilayer glass stack for a vehicle windshield with improved durability." The stack includes one "external-facing glass layer" as well as an "internal-facing glass layer" with an adhesive layer in between — not unlike the glass sandwich used in modern smartphone screens, as The Verge points out.

Screenshots of the truck's UI show a vehicle with a driving range of 610 miles, as spotted by InsideEVs, well above the 500 mile advertised range.

Other images of the interface show what appears to be a tow assist feature to help future Cybertruck owners hook up a trailer.

One image in particular shows off what appears to be a camper attachment, not unlike the ones shown off in renders when the truck was first announced.

Tesla is still hoping to start deliveries of the truck later this year, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes "volume production" to start in 2022.

READ MORE: Cybertruck patent applications show off UI, solar bed cover, ‘armor glass’ [The Verge]

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