Since its initial reveal, Tesla has been slowly reining in the Cybertruck’s design to adhere to safety regulations and make it easier to produce. Things like the side view cameras mounted in the fenders were swapped out for conventional mirrors, a windshield wiper was added, and most notably, the geometric wheel covers present at launch were nowhere to be seen.
After seeing many a prototype without these wheel covers, it was thought Tesla would just ditch them altogether. This became especially apparent when considering the fact that the most recent prototypes, which Musk mentioned were “very close to production“, did not feature them.
Read More: New Images Of Tesla Cybertruck Show Glass Roof, Tonneau Cover, And Interior
However, Tesla was just granted the patent to their design by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As reported by Drive Tesla Canada, the filing was actually submitted all the way back in 2019 when the Cybertruck was first revealed, but only now was the patent granted. The description of the design reads: “the ornamental design for a vehicle wheel, as shown and described,” but provides no other details on the covers themselves.
Perhaps this is a sign that the Cybertruck will finally be hitting the market in the not-too-distant future, but Musk’s most recent timeline update detailed initial rollout this summer with mass production starting next year. With any luck, it won’t get pushed back even further, as it’s already been four years since the truck’s reveal, and it’ll be five years minimum before any serious production numbers are expected.
