Gary Zhou 
Elon Musk teased the forthcoming Tesla Cybertruck with a very cryptic update. And, in true Elon Musk fashion, the post was both intriguing and challenging to comprehend.
The electric vehicle community has remained excited for Elon Musk’s forthcoming Cybertruck despite the refreshed Model S and recent sightings of the Tesla Semi. Elon Musk was recently asked on Twitter by @JubanMohamed if he could have a teaser for the upcoming all-electric pickup truck. “There will be no handles,” Musk answered with a cryptic update.
Needless to say, Musk’s announcement has left many electric vehicle enthusiasts perplexed. After all, the Cybertruck debuted with self-presenting door handles identical to those seen on the Model S. Musk basically said this in January when he said that the Cybertruck’s door handles would be flush with the vehicle’s steel. The flush door handles would certainly make the vehicle look even more futuristic, so that update was well received.
In light of this, Elon Musk’s latest update appears to be referring to the Cybertruck’s inner door handles, which passengers use to exit the vehicle. Given Tesla’s proclivity for eliminating typical components found in conventional vehicles, such a device would not be out of character. The most recent of these was the replacement of the gear shifter in the current Model S and Model X with an automatic mechanism and a touch/steering wheel-based manual override.
Having said that, several vehicles have been released in recent years without traditional exterior door handles. The Ford Mustang Mach-push-button E’s system, as well as the McLaren MP4-secret 12C’s door mechanism, come to mind. Even the next-generation Tesla Roadster has no door handles, instead relying on a touch panel on the B-pillar. The Tesla Model X, which is an all-electric SUV, has non-traditional door handles as well, with self-opening and self-closing doors.
In certain ways, eliminating the Model S-style door handles from the Cybertruck could be beneficial to Tesla, given the Model S door handles’ troublesome service history. Given the Cybertruck’s heavy doors, a device similar to the one used in the Model X will make the vehicle much simpler and more convenient to operate.
