Tesla makes another small but clever change to the Cybertruck

Tesla has made another production change to the Cybertruck, this time redesigning the side repeater camera. The update is the latest example of the company’s drive to constantly iterate its designs and not wait for production year cycles to make a change.

For nearly as long as Tesla has been including cameras on their vehicles, owners have been complaining about the lenses getting obscured from snow, dirt, mud, and even rain. It wasn’t until recently however that they started to address this issue, adding camera washers to some of the cameras, like those on the front and rear bumpers.

The company has also added washers to the side repeater cameras, but only the Model Y Robotaxis. We expected that change to eventually make its way to the consumer lineup, but based on a new change to the Cybertruck, Tesla may attempt another solution.

Lead engineer Wes Morrill recently shared a photo on X showing the old and new side repeater cameras on the Cybertruck, and while no washer was added, the newer version has been reshaped to help keep the camera lens clear in wet conditions.

According to Morrill, Tesla is using the shape of the housing and the air already moving around the truck to reduce the amount of water reaching the lens, without adding another component (e.g., a washer) and increasing production costs.

The side repeater camera was updated – the version on the left is the newer part which uses passive geometry to create airflow disturbance that better keep water off the lens while driving. No cost penalty, just pure vision improvement. pic.twitter.com/wAbXtcL1Jf

— Wes (@wmorrill3) September 8, 2026

Naturally, many Cybertruck owners asked if these new cameras could be retrofitted and added to their vehicles. While Morrill didn’t respond to those questions, it seems only natural that Tesla would not change the wiring harness and the new cameras would be backwards compatible.

Whether Tesla will offer it as an official retrofit is another question, but owners will likely be able to purchase the parts themselves from their local Service Center or online through the Parts Catalog.

Cybertruck Continues to Evolve

The updated camera is another example of Tesla’s approach of making changes as soon as they are ready rather than saving them for a traditional model-year refresh.

We saw another example of this on the Cybertruck last month when it was announced by Morrill that Tesla quietly replaced aluminum underbody panels with newly designed composite pieces. The new panels are lighter and cheaper while also allowing engineers to create more aerodynamic shapes around mounting points.

According to unofficial estimates, the Cybertruck has seen 87% of its parts be revised in some way since its launch three years ago, despite the truck never receiving a traditional mid-cycle refresh.

Tesla has followed this philosophy for years across its lineup. The Model 3 and Model Y in particular have received numerous changes during their production runs, ranging from new castings and interior components to updated cameras, suspension parts and manufacturing processes.

One of the most unique aspects of how Tesla builds vehicles is that they are continually updating both the hardware and the software. I've done a lot of digging to better understand this.
Cybertruck rev'd 25% of the parts within the first month, and kept going. pic.twitter.com/O3tngTAmcP

— 🔋Dave Mattson📐 (@DaveMattson) September 9, 2026