Tesla Cybertruck Gets Crucial Off-Road Update

Tesla is rolling out a new Off-Road Mode for the Cybertruck aimed at improving its abilities. Lead engineer Wes Morrill has detailed the update via X, giving us an in-depth look at the changes coming to the electric pickup. Let’s start with the two Off-Road modes, Overland and Baja. The former delivers superior stability, handling, and traction when driving on gravel, snow, sand, or rocky terrain. In Baja Mode, the stability assist system is set to Minimal which allows the vehicle to handle with greater ease, while vehicle balance is also improved.

Morrill describes ‘Baja’ as the Cybertruck’s equivalent of track mode. There’s even a Handling Balance Slider that lets the driver choose their preferred setup. This ranges from ‘Standard,’ where both the traction control and stability control assist the driver, to ‘Min,’ which puts the driver in total control with minimal interference from the driver aids.

Plenty Of Off-Road Settings To Choose From

There’s also a Terrain Slider that adjusts the ride height and suspension tuning for different surfaces. Morrill says ‘Rugged’ is the “optimal” setting for Baja driving, as it uses a specific damping tune and ‘high’ ride height to deal with bumps and high-speed maneuvers. Other settings include ‘Clearance’ which uses the highest ride height setting to drive over obstacles, and ‘Smooth’, which pairs a ‘Medium’ ride height with a damping setting that minimizes pitch and roll.

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Off-Road Mode also benefits from a Trail Assist feature that combines hill descent control and ascent speed control to make it easier to maintain a set speed on off-road courses. The driver can set a speed, and the combined systems maintain the desired speed regardless of the terrain or gradient, allowing the driver to get on with the important task of avoiding obstacles. Using the brake or accelerator doesn’t disengage Trail Assist, with the vehicle returning to the set speed.

Front/Rear Differentials, Camera Displays, and ‘Vitals Page’

One of the most important additions is the front and rear locking differentials, something Tesla has promised since January. This should make the Cybertruck even more competitive off-road. There’s also a ‘vitals page’ that displays important information, such as battery/electric motor temperature, tire pressures, and real-time pitch and roll monitors. Elsewhere, the camera views are constantly displayed, with the front camera and side mirror-mounted cameras being the default views.

Of course, drivers can swipe to see different camera angles, which means there’s less chance of damaging the Cybertruck on a hidden obstacle or getting stuck. The rear-wheel steering can also be disabled, with Morrill noting this comes in handy when the vehicle is in Overland mode. “I found less reasons to turn it off than I expected, but in Overland there [are] some cases when rock crawling or driving off-camber on loose surface.”

Tent Mode Also Gets An Upgrade

Even the Tent mode has received a massive improvement. If you find your camping spot is on an uneven surface, the air suspension levels the vehicle to provide a restful night’s sleep. The front lightbar, taillights, and bedlights can all be operated individually as ambient lights. External speakers mean you can also play music, creating a home away from home. The air-con and outlets can also be used if enabled.

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The suspension system can also estimate the payload with greater accuracy than before and will automatically adjust the damping for a more compliant ride quality and safer handling. Morrill says the update is already rolling out to Wave 1 Cybertrucks, which means owners shouldn’t have to wait much longer for this update.

It would be interesting to see how Tesla’s first-ever pickup truck measures up to the Rivian R1T and F-150 Lightning after this update, as the off-road performance of pre-production Cybertrucks was disappointing. With the new update, we suspect that’s no longer the case.