Elon Musk says Tesla Cybertruck will have four-motor variant

Tesla boss Elon Musk said on Friday the much-anticipated Tesla Cybertruck would come with a high-end four-motor variant.

"Initial production will be 4 motor variant, with independent, ultra fast response torque control of each wheel," Musk said in a tweet.

Calling the electric pickup truck an "insane technology bandwagon," Musk said the Cybertruck would have both front- and rear-wheel steer that would "not just (turn) like a tank – it can drive diagonally like a crab."

Initial production will be 4 motor variant, with independent, ultra fast response torque control of each wheel

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 3, 2021

The vehicle would compete with pickup trucks such as GMC's Hummer EV, Ford's F-150 Lightning and Rivian's R1T. Of those, R1T is driven by four individual motors powering all four wheels, and GMC's Hummer can drive diagonally.

Tesla's pickup truck, first announced in 2019, is made of stainless steel used in rockets, and Musk has claimed to have received several hundred thousand orders for the Cybertruck when preorders were opened.

Musk said he would give updates on the Tesla product roadmap on the next earnings call. Cybertruck development has faced delays, but production is currently expected to begin next year and reach volume production in 2023.