--- title: "Cybertruck Patents Reveal “Armor Glass,” Retractable Solar Panels" description: "New details about Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck have emerged through the publication of several patent applications dating back to 2020. " date: "2021-05-28" modified: "2021-05-28" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cybertruck-patents-armor-glass-solar-panels" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "cybertruck" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Cybertruck Patents Reveal “Armor Glass,” Retractable Solar Panels ![New details about Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck have emerged through the publication of several patent applications dating back to 2020. ]() *\Image: USPTO \* ## 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’]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on the Cybertruck:** *[Elon Musk Congratulates Ford on Electric F-150]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()