Tesla's Cybertruck could move diagonally like a crab... if that were good for anything

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tesla engineer Wes Morrill has revealed a curious detail about the development phase of the American manufacturer’s new electric pickup. According to him, the company’s engineering team studied the possibility of adding as one of the vehicle’s features the ability to drive diagonally like a crab, what in English is called Crab Walk. However, he explained that after carrying out multiple tests, this capability was ruled out because they saw no real-world utility in it.

In the post on X, Morrill asks whether anyone thinks this feature could have any use. He revealed that they evaluated it for some time, but ultimately concluded that the user experience was quite poor and it had no real utility.

Indeed, one of the most publicized features of GMC’s electric Hummer was the so-called Crab Walk. Like the Cybertruck, it has a steerable rear axle that gives it far greater maneuverability than expected for a vehicle of its dimensions. To do this, the rear axle turns in the opposite direction to the front one, at a somewhat smaller angle.

Does Crab Walk serve any purpose beyond attracting attention?

However, unlike the Cybertruck, GMC’s electric Hummer can also turn both axles in the same direction, allowing the vehicle to move diagonally and zigzag while moving forward. This is what is called Crab Walk. A peculiar feature that, according to GMC, can help the electric Hummer get out of tricky situations.

Morrill, on the other hand, believes this serves no real purpose and adds that if the wheels could turn 90 degrees so the vehicle could move sideways, then it would have some use, mainly for parking. But with the steering angle limited to 10 degrees, as with the electric Hummer or the Cybertruck, its usefulness in his opinion is very limited, and vehicle control is quite complicated.

Coincidentally, as we have already reported here at HighMotor on some occasions, Hyundai is working on a prototype of the IONIQ 5 that can turn its wheels 90 degrees, allowing it to move sideways. This vehicle can thus park without performing any maneuver.

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CrossoverTesla Model Y4 versions · from 39,990 €