Cybertruck’s unbelievable feature is taking the internet by storm
- The Tesla Cybertruck’s interior matches its angular exterior and offers some features other Teslas don’t have
- The Cybertruck doesn’t have a gear selector on a stalk like some other Tesla models
- Instead, gear changes are either made via the vehicle’s touchscreen or on its overhead console
Published on Dec 20, 2023 at 1:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Dec 22, 2023 at 1:33 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Without a shadow of a doubt, the Cybertruck has been the most hostly-anticipated vehicle of 2023.
Now that it’s finally (!) here, we’re starting to learn more details about the wildest production truck in living memory.
We’re also learning what it’s like to be behind the wheel of the new electric pickup.
READ MORE! Elon Musk says you’ll be able to use Cybertruck as a boat
While the angular Cybertruck might look nothing like Tesla’s curvy cars on the outside, it’s certainly similar on the inside.
The interior is a minimalist affair, dominated by a huge landscape-orientated touchscreen tablet that floats from a plain dashboard that contains no other controls.
That 18-inch central console display is the main and seemingly only point of interaction with the electric off-roader.
But what’s really blowing people’s minds is a distinct lack of a gear selector.
How do you change gears if there’s no gear selector? There are actually two ways to do it.
While some Tesla models have manual gear selectors located on the stalks, others rely on the touchscreen being used to change gears.
The latter includes the new Cybertruck, and is the preferred method to shift manually.
The other way to change gears is on the overhead console.
Instead of a fairly useless rearview mirror, especially with the tonneau cover closed, Tesla uses the overhead console for the front Autopilot cameras, as well a manual gear selector.
Just like on other Tesla vehicles, the Cybertruck has redundant gear shift buttons in case the touchscreen is damaged or malfunctions, but its location mimics the Model 3 Highland rather than older Tesla models.
When a screen malfunction is detected, the manual gear selector in the Cybertruck’s overhead console lights up and can be used to drive away, reverse, or park.
The unbelievable feature hasn’t gone unnoticed online, with a recent TikTok video showing the unusual gear selector placement garnering plenty of attention.
“Nahhhh bro is changing gear from the top,” one user commented.
“Changing gears by reaching to the sky,” another posted.
“Man that’s cool. Not sure how it ages but still cool,” a third said.
It may take some getting used to, but it’s a pretty cool feature, nonetheless.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
