Tesla’s Latest Cybertruck Prototype Looks Even Worse Up Close

When the Cybertruck first debuted, I admit I was intrigued. It was unlike anything on the roads, a completely unique take on the truck genre that had become so stagnant over the years. Did I ever think it would make it to production? Absolutely not, especially looking like he did in that performance. But Tesla keeps claiming he will and even showed off an updated prototype at the Cyber Rodeo to prove it. The only problem? The new prototype looks bad.

Despite the Cyber Rodeo’s lax guest list, or perhaps because of how strict it turned out to be, few people outside of the Tesla faithful had a chance to enter the hallowed halls of the Texas Gigafactory. Thankfully, those who did get in (such as the cyber owners of the YouTube channel) posted their experience online, making it easy for people around the world to gasp at the flaws in Cybertruck’s new design.

Even from its onstage appearance, the fit and finish of the Cybertruck looked shoddy. The doors are a completely different color than the rest of the truck, and the entire rear end looks dented and scratched. A closer view, with more even lighting, shows all that and more.

Not only are the panels that make up the ceiling out of alignment, but none of them appear to be flat or curved to fit together. Everything is arched, and bent at odd angles, leaving room for huge gaps in the panels. I hope they don’t leak.

Lowering the vehicle, things do not improve. The roof does not line up with the window weather stripping, which does not line up with the window. The pillar, which runs between the front and rear windows, doesn’t even seem to meet the window frames and the rest of the body completely.

The A-pillar is noticeably scratched and the panel gap between the fender and door is very uneven. This angle also highlights how much darker and warmer the front end of the truck is than the doors. Perhaps the finish of the outer skins is different between those panels?

The video shows exposed plastic clips, metal sheets bent at odd angles, and even areas (like the one surrounding the backup camera) that appear to be held together with packing tape. Some shortcuts are expected with a prototype, but this seems like a step too far. This is meant to be the “production-ready” version of the Cybertruck, but it looks like there’s a lot of work to be done.