Tesla Cybercab Wheel Design Patent Revealed: Front-Wheel Drive with Massive, Unequal-Width Rear Tires

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published Tesla’s design patent for the Cybercab wheel (Patent No. USD1130251S). The design features a flat, gold-colored wheel cover as its core element, which conceals the open sections on the outer side of the rim to enhance aerodynamic performance and mask the wide tire sidewalls and unique wheel assembly. The outer edge of the wheel cover is made of flexible rubber, allowing it to fit tightly against the sidewall of the factory-installed Continental tires, preventing abrasion caused by tire deformation during driving. Minor black rubber debris visible on the inner side indicates slight friction. The central portion of the cover is constructed from a harder engineering plastic, likely ABS or polypropylene. The Cybercab’s wheel configuration is unusual within the industry: the front axle uses 215/60 R18 tires, while the rear wheels are mounted on 21-inch rims with thick-walled 225/60 R21 tires—dimensions approaching those typically found on commercial trucks. The vehicle employs a front-wheel-drive layout, making it the world’s first mass-produced front-wheel-drive car originally equipped with larger-diameter rear wheels. This approach diverges from Tesla’s previous strategy of exclusively using rear- or all-wheel-drive platforms but aligns well with ride-hailing operational needs: smaller front wheels improve steering agility, while the massive 32-inch-diameter rear wheels help absorb road imperfections for enhanced ride comfort and extend tire life due to fewer rotations per mile. The entire vehicle adopts a teardrop-shaped, streamlined body to minimize aerodynamic drag, prioritizing aerodynamic efficiency and operational cost over traditional performance metrics.