Tesla Cybertruck Spotted Near BMW’s Hub: Is a Teardown on the Horizon?

A photo capturing a distinct, triangle-shaped vehicle, resembling Tesla's Cybertruck, near BMW’s Research and Innovation Center in Munich has sparked speculation. This rare sighting suggests that despite not traditionally manufacturing trucks, BMW may be dissecting the electric pickup for research.

Cybertruck Sighting Near BMW Raises Eyebrows: Teardown Speculation Intensifies

In a recent report by Electrek, it was found that now that the Cybertruck has been released, sightings are becoming more common, particularly in California and Texas, where most vehicles are delivered. However, cybertrucks are still uncommon in Europe, where they are not sold.

So, imagine the surprise when a flatbed car transporter with a covered (but visible) triangle-shaped vehicle was spotted in Munich, just down the road from BMW.

The photos were posted by Nextmove, a German EV rental company with an active YouTube channel that posts EV-related information. Here's an embed of the video, deep-linked to the segment in question (photos begin at 27:36)

The photos were submitted by a viewer who claims they were taken on April 4 at 7:45 a.m. on the corner of Schleichheimerstrasse and Frankfurter Ring, looking towards BMW's Research and Innovation Center. The location is just one block away from several BMW facilities.

This may be a coincidence, but it appears that BMW purchased this truck, most likely for teardown purposes. This is interesting, given that BMW does not manufacture trucks (but does produce SUVs).

BMW's Curiosity in Cybertruck Tech: A Peek into Future Automotive Innovations

Despite their lack of pickup trucks, BMW will likely be interested in seeing some of the new technologies Tesla is developing for the Cybertruck. The vehicle is a "statement." It contains much of the technology discussed in the automotive industry but has yet to be seen in a finished vehicle.

This includes 48-volt architecture, steer-by-wire, and other technologies present in some vehicles but are relatively new, such as Tesla's larger 4680 cell format and Powershare bidirectional charging. Tesla also promised to use a unique "exoskeleton"-style chassis, but as the truck approached production, it appeared that this did not pan out as planned. However, we're sure BMW is interested in seeing what's underneath that skin anyway.

This isn't the first time we've seen Cybertrucks in the hands of other automakers. It's common for automakers to buy new vehicles from other automakers so they can disassemble them and see what the competition is up to.

Last month, a Cybertruck was spotted outside Ford's proving grounds in Detroit, and the automaker reportedly paid a high price for it. Early Cybertrucks sold for nearly a quarter million dollars on the secondary market, despite Tesla's threat to sell to early buyers who flip their trucks. So far, Tesla has not followed through on its threat with a lawsuit, but it has blocked at least one owner after he listed his for sale, and as more trucks have become available, the resale market has cooled from its initial extreme highs.

However, According to Autoevolution reports, even that quarter-million figure may need to be higher than what BMW paid. In February, a Cybertruck was listed for €485k on the secondhand market in Germany, indicating that either a wealthy enthusiast wants a triangle to decorate their garage or a wealthy German automaker wanted to be the first to check it out. We hope they learned a lot for that amount of money.

Photo: Somalia Veteran/Unsplash