Tesla Cybertruck engineer reveals why ‘Crab Walk’ feature wasn’t included

Credit: Tesla

Tesla Cybertruck engineer Wes Morrill revealed the company considered equipping the all-electric pickup with the “Crab Walk” feature that General Motors has flexed with its HUMMER EV, but it did not seem useful.

CrabWalk, as GM calls it, is a four-wheel steer mode that enables “greater vehicle maneuverability when you’re off-roading or parking.” It allows the angle of the rear wheels to mimic that of the front wheels, enabling the vehicle to move more diagonally.

In a perfect world, CrabWalk would be an ideal choice for situations like parallel parking. However, it is only operable at incredibly low speeds — GM says it can be activated at up to 1.2 miles per hour — and its use case, while unique, is extremely limited.

According to a new post from Wes Morrill, Tesla’s Lead Engineer for the Cybertruck, the automaker considered using the feature for the pickup. However, after some testing and development, he described it as a “clunky/awkward experience.”

We know the Cybertruck is packed full of interesting features, but Crab Walk was not one of them. It seems Tesla was attempting to consider it as an option, and it was even spotted testing the feature outside of Giga Texas at one point:

Ultimately, it seems as if the Cybertruck was not in need of what appeared to be something that would not add much to the experience.

Do you think Crab Walk would have made the Cybertruck a more well-rounded experience?

With the addition of steer-by-wire, many Cybertruck owners have talked about the ease of turning and driving in their pickup, and it has been one of the most talked-about features in the first year of the truck being on the market.

For what it is worth, it does not seem like many Tesla fans are upset about Crab Walk not being included.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey Klender: Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his time at TESLARATI, Joey has broken several big stories, including the first images of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the imminent release of the 4680 Model Y through EPA certification, and several expansions to the Lucid AMP-1 factory in Arizona, to name a few. His stories have been featured in several publications, including Yahoo! Finance, Fox News, CNET, and Seeking Alpha. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
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