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Normally, people do not pay too much attention to windshield wipers other than are they working properly or not. However, a showcasing of the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck got people talking.
The Cybertruck has been seen sporting a very large wiper blade which has attracted mixed feedback with one person describing it as “comically large”. I feel it looks a bit ordinary compared to the rest of the vehicle’s futuristic design. We will have to wait to see the final design though.
What Is The History Of Cybertruck’s Windshield Wiper?
The original Cybertruck prototype which was unveiled in November 2019 did not have wipers and this has certainly led some people to speculate that other technology will be utilized instead of traditional wipers.
This was not totally unfounded since patents from Tesla had suggested some pretty innovative ideas including a folding, single-blade wiper, and a system that uses lasers in order to get the water off the windshield.
However, further, along the line, another Cybertruck prototype was seen with an extremely large windshield wiper. It got a lot of attention, either way.
People managed to get a closer look at the Tesla Cybertruck when two vehicles were showcased at the recent Cyber Rodeo delivery party which celebrated the launch of Gigafactory in Texas.
When people posted up-close images of the vehicles, it was suggested that the large wiper arm has two smaller traditional wiper blades attached to it. However, it is not clear if this will be the final design.
How Has Elon Musk Responded About The Windshield Wipers?
It is apparent that Elon Musk has also been weighing up the variety of options for the windshield wiper design. Musk took to Twitter saying that the wiper was troubling him the most, saying there was no simple solution.
He had stated that the ideal solution would be a deployable wiper that could stow in the front trunk; however, he commented that this would be complex.
Manufacturers have to ship cars with side mirrors by law, but owners are allowed to modify their cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2021
The wiper is what troubles me most. No easy solution. Deployable wiper that stows in front trunk would be ideal, but complex.
Why Would Tesla Want To Install A Normal Wiper On The Cybertruck?
Some people have speculated that one of the reasons for Tesla installing a normal wiper on the Cybertruck would be to cut costs and ensure a good supply chain.
If people need to replace the wiper blade or change them to a winter blade, they could just use a local automotive parts store or buy them online. This could certainly be a factor as to why Tesla may want to go with an ordinary windshield wiper design.
The positioning of the windscreen wiper was also thought to be practical since its placement on one side of the vehicle means owners would not need to try to reach across to access the wiper.
However, some people have speculated that the arc of the windshield wiper would not reach all of the windshields. Nonetheless, Elon Musk has said on Twitter that the large windshield wiper design will not be used in the final production of Cybertrucks.
What Are The Alternative Design Ideas?
One of the alternative suggestions for the windshield wiper has been to somehow make it possible for it to be situated between the vehicle’s hood and windshield. The problem with that is that the current Cybertruck’s design does not leave space between the two parts of the truck so the design would have to be changed somehow to accommodate this positioning.
It is thought it may be possible to have a cut-out on the frunk but to make this option possible it would need a series of hinges or motors.
Another idea that is still thought to be on the table is the use of lasers. Tesla has already patented a laser design for a cleaning system, which would use a beam optics assembly that would emit a laser beam to irradiate part of a glass article of the vehicle, such as a windshield.
The patent also details debris detection circuitry to detect debris that had accumulated over the region, as well as, control circuitry which would calibrate a set of parameters to control the exposure level of the laser beam.
It seems that Tesla is still working on the design of the windshield wipers design and various options are still being explored.
The extremely large windshield wiper that was previously spotted is thought will not make it to the final production design even though there are reasons to believe the traditional wipers would be practical and easy to replace.
However, I can also understand why people were expecting something a bit more futuristic. The use of lasers does seem to still be an option and we know that Tesla already has a patent relating to the use of lasers for irradiating part of a glass article vehicle like a windshield.
As with a lot of the Tesla Cybertruck features, we will need to take a wait-and-see approach.
