Top tech YouTuber breaks down the Tesla Cybertruck's 'ridiculous' windshield wiper, tricky door handles

Marques Brownlee reviewed a Cybertruck prototype on YouTube. Marques Brownlee on YouTube

YouTuber Marques Brownlee said he’s overall “impressed” with the Cybertruck.
He likes the speed and manueverability of the truck, but has concerns about smaller features.
Tesla delivered its first batch of Cybertrucks to about a dozen new owners on Thursday.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee highlighted some of his favorite and least favorite aspects of Tesla’s much-hyped Cybertruck in a review video posted Friday.

Brownlee, who has nearly 18 million subscribers on YouTube and is known for his adept tech reviews, said that overall he was impressed by the electric pickup truck. He said Tesla allowed him to demo one of its prototypes for its premium Cyberbeast version of the truck ahead of Thusday’s delivery event.

“I think they really got themselves something solid here,” Brownlee said. “We’re gonna have to see about the fit and finish — a lot of wait and see — but I’m impressed with this.”

Brownlee appeared blown away by the Cybertruck’s speed. Tesla’s nearly $100,000 Cyberbeast model can go from o to 60 miles per hour in 2.6 seconds, according to the company.

Brownlee also said he appreciated the high level of visibility in the truck, which has a massive windshield. Though he added it can be difficult to see the end of the hood and the tonneau cover blocks the rear view mirror when closed. Instead, Tesla has a rearview camera that constantly displays on the truck’s massive infotainment system.

The YouTuber also appeared to admire the vehicle’s maneuverability, which he said could take some getting used to for new Cybertruck owners. The steering wheel doesn’t turn more than 180 degrees and uses steer-by-wire technology.

“It feels way more nimble in parking lots and it feels like it shrinks the wheelbase, the whole dimensions of the truck,” Brownlee said. “It takes some getting used to, but it’s very useful.”

While Brownlee was overall positive regarding his experience with the truck, he also pointed out some concerns he had about some of the vehicle’s high-tech features, including the door handles and some aspects of its futuristic design.

The Cybertruck doesn’t have any door handles — a feature that some new Cybertruck owners appeared to struggle with during the delivery event.

In order to open the door, you must press a button on the window column that allows the door to pop open about two inches where it can be grabbed and pulled fully open. Brownlee pointed out that the feature could be difficult to access in cold and icy weather conditions.

“Tesla’s telling me — and this is a California company that tells me these things — but they’re telling me up to an inch of ice, if you can break through the ice and press this button, it will push with enough force to open it and break the ice off,” Brownlee said. “Now if that’s true, that’s debatable. We’ll see.”

He also said that it seems likely the owner will grab the door to swing it open along the stainless steel, leaving a wide variety of fingerprints — an issue with the stainless steel body that some Tesla fans have pointed out in the past.

Brownlee expressed some concerns about the lack of door handles on the Cybertruck. Marques Brownlee on YouTube

The vehicle’s massive windshield wiper has also been a hot topic leading up to its release and Brownlee said he has some concerns about that feature too.

“It looks ridiculous,” Brownlee said. “It might be logistically ridiculous too. I don’t know if in the ice or snow if it’s going to be able to break apart enough ice to move that huge windshield wiper.”

Ultimately, Brownlee said his main concerns came down to the vehicle’s higher-than-expected price point, as well as people just thinking it’s “ugly.”

“Obviously, there are going to be some polarizing thoughts on the looks,” he said.

Tesla delivered about a dozen Cybertrucks on Thursday. Elon Musk has said it might take some time for the company to scale production. Millions of Tesla fans have expressed interest in buying the vehicle, but it remains to be seen how many $100 reservations will turn into actual purchases.