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

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 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.”

Does anyone know when this feature is practically useful? Genuinely curious. We played with this in development but no matter what we tried it was a clunky/awkward experience with no real use case. If the wheels could turn 90 deg and you could actually slide sideways it would be…

— Wes (@wmorrill3) April 17, 2024

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:

Tesla spotted testing Cybertruck ‘crab driving’ at Giga Texas

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.

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