Tesla really, really didn't want to add mirrors to the Cybertruck.
Franz von Holzhausen, the automaker's head of design, told TV host Jay Leno that Tesla desperately wanted to build the electric truck without any side mirrors, and didn't even design any until they were forced to do so by vehicle regulators.
"We didn't want mirrors," he said on "Jay Leno's Garage" YouTube series. "In the beginning, we weren't even designing mirrors, and then we just couldn't get the regulations changed."
"Going forward we would love to get rid of the mirrors, it just adds to convention," he added.
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The initial version of the Cybertruck unveiled by Elon Musk in 2019 didn't have any side view mirrors, as the automaker attempted to make the prototype as streamlined and angular as possible.
But side mirrors are a legal requirement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Musk has previously said that these mirrors are easily removable, however, and drivers could rely on side-mounted cameras.
But in a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for the NHTSA said that the agency prohibits manufacturers "from knowingly making inoperative any aspect of a vehicle required for compliance with federal safety standards."
"NHTSA urges vehicle owners not to take any actions that would undermine the safety of their vehicles. Furthermore, state law may require that vehicles operated in the state be equipped with side view mirrors," they said.
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Still, the NHTSA has suggested that future legislation could allow some vehicles to rely solely on cameras. It held a public comment period in 2019 on this technology. A spokesperson said that this issue is still in the pre-rule stage, however.
The Cybertruck is pricier than expected
The addition of side mirrors isn't the only difference between the version of the Cybertruck demoed in 2019 and the version rolling off Tesla production lines now.
When he revealed the truck four years ago, Musk said that the Cybertruck would start at $39,990 and have up to 500 miles of range.
However, many Tesla fans were disappointed when the cheapest version, which is not available until 2025, was revealed in November to cost $60,990, with the nearly $100,000 "Cyberbeast" having a range of 320 miles.
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Another late addition to the Cybertruck is its giant windshield wiper.
The initial prototype didn't feature any wipers, but Tesla was forced to add one, with Musk admitting there was no "easy solution" to the problem of how to keep the Cybertruck's enormous front window rain-free.
The desire to keep the Cybertruck as streamlined as possible led to some interesting solutions being thrown around, with von Holzhausen telling Leno that Tesla's engineers considered one design that would have seen the wipers retract under the hood.
"We had a design that we looked at where we were burying the wipers underneath the hood, having the hood pop up and the wipers would be revealed," he said.
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"It was pretty complex, so we went with a simpler system," he added.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, made outside normal working hours.
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