Tesla Cybertruck Patent Application Reveals Retractable Solar Tonneau

Even as competition in the electric truck space is heating up, the details emerging on Tesla, Inc.'s TSLA Cybertruck suggest the automaker could have a head start.

What Happened: Tesla's Cybertruck will come with a retractable truck bed cover with embedded solar cells, a patent application filed by the company Thursday revealed. 

The company shared drawings of a truck bed cover integrated in a vehicle that is configured to move through an opening formed between a cab and a truck bed, and along a set of channels of the truck bed.

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The tonneau cover, which is likely to be made up of a series of movable rigid slats with a seal between each slat, is relatively weatherproof once fully extended over the truck bed.

The cover, the patent application revealed, can be retracted into a rolled configuration and stored in a compartment in the truck's lower portion. An electric motor is used to extend or retract the rolled cover over the truck bed.

In one of the figures shown in the application, the tonneau cover comprises solar electric cells that are electrically connected to a photovoltaic charging system and battery. The solar electric cells can charge the EV's battery. 

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Why It's Important: Apart from Tesla, Ford Motor Company F, Lordstown Motors Corp. RIDE and Rivian, in which Amazon, Inc. AMZN holds a stake, are competing to roll out electric trucks. 

Forde launched the F-150 Lightning earlier this week and also announced $30 billion in spending on the electrification of its vehicles by 2030.

Rivian, which was originally scheduled to launch its R1T EV truck in June, has announced a one-month delay.

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Photo courtesy of Tesla.