Is the Cybertruck’s wiper actually multiple wipers in a row? An investigation

As Vergecast listeners know, I am deeply and forever fascinated by the Tesla Cybertruck’s wiper — it is one of the silliest design compromises in automotive history on a vehicle that is itself a rolling design compromise. I love it so much.

Anyway, I’ve been asking listeners to send in detailed shots of the wiper to confirm a rumor I’ve been hearing — my thanks to the dozens of people who’ve passed along photos. I didn’t have anything worth running until today, though: our own Parker Ortolani spotted a Cybertruck in NYC and took several photos that appear to show that the “single wiper” is actually multiple wiper blades stacked in a row.

The idea, I’ve been told, is apparently to make replacements easier — one assumes sourcing standard-ish wipers is easier than a huge custom part. Here’s a close-up, which definitely appears to show a second blade attaching at the end of the arm:

Here’s where it gets even more interesting: I have an unconfirmed tip in my inbox that says the wiper is actually three blades in a row and that the length of the wiper arm means the tip moves at dangerously fast speeds to traverse the huge arc it has to make on each sweep. If you can confirm any of this, let me know. The Verge is America’s No. 1 source of Cybertruck wiper news, and it’s all thanks to readers like you.