Cybertruck Rear Module Teardown Insights

As electric vehicle design evolves, the Tesla Cybertruck continues to challenge conventional expectations — especially beneath the skin. In a recent teardown episode from the team at Munro, engineers dissected the Cybertruck’s rear cradle and electric drive module (EDM), exposing key insights into structural decisions, thermal management, suspension strategies, and the rear steer unit. This teardown highlights the intricate engineering trade-offs Tesla has embraced to support both the vehicle’s massive form and ambitious performance targets.

A Closer Look at the Rear Cradle

Tesla’s rear cradle architecture immediately drew attention for its sheer mass and complexity. Drawing comparisons to front cradle assemblies — more typical of forward vehicle architecture — the Cybertruck’s rear setup stood out for integrating significant structural and suspension functions. Notably, Tesla mounts the upper control arms to the body, not the cradle. This design clearly leverages the structural strength of the rear gigacasting. As a result, Tesla reduces the cradle’s structural role while reinforcing the vehicle’s overall rigidity. This choice allows for a minimized cradle footprint; however, it shifts more complexity into the body assembly.

The lower control arms, tie rods, and toe links are all integrated into the cradle layout, with clear effort to consolidate suspension components while maintaining serviceability. Tesla skips pressed-on collars for the sway bar and uses band clamps instead to prevent lateral movement. This choice results in a less elegant solution. It also points to a more manual, lower-volume assembly process. Such design decisions reflect the Cybertruck’s lower production volume, which limits the scalability of highly automated processes used in Tesla’s higher-volume vehicles.

EDM and Thermal Management Strategy

The EDM is the technological heart of the Cybertruck’s rear drive system. Tesla employs Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) to manage power conversion — a component that demands meticulous thermal regulation. Engineers observed swaged or peened cooling paths, likely interfacing directly with machined surfaces to optimize heat dissipation. These methods, though costly, highlight Tesla’s prioritization of thermal efficiency, particularly for sustained high-performance driving.

Tesla’s use of dual plate coolers — one for each of the two motors — aligns with previous strategies observed in earlier models like the Model S. The coolers facilitate heat exchange between gearbox oil and ethylene glycol. This approach enables Tesla to heat critical systems, including the battery, by routing heat from the stalled motors through the fluid network — effectively eliminating the need for additional PTC heaters. This approach creates a highly integrated, thermally efficient drivetrain that uses fewer parts and draws less power.

The Rear Steer Unit: Compact and Unique

One of the more novel inclusions in the teardown was the rear steer unit. Its compactness and atypical layout set it apart from traditional rear steer systems seen in luxury brands like Audi or Mercedes, which often use third-party suppliers like ZF. Tesla’s design appears to be either fully in-house or based on a proprietary configuration built by a partner to Tesla’s strict design parameters.

This rear steer system is not merely supplemental — it is integral to the suspension’s behavior. The tie rod in this setup doubles as the toe link, reinforcing that this is an active, structural component rather than a secondary assist mechanism. The dual function optimizes packaging and part consolidation, but also demands greater precision and reliability from the steering system overall.

Suspension Design and Packaging Constraints

Space constraints from four-wheel steering clearly influence Tesla’s design choices. With the wheel envelope — the total dynamic range of the tire’s movement — expanded due to rear steer capability, engineers had to limit the space available for suspension arms. As a result, the rear control arms are shrink-wrapped and tightly packaged to avoid interference during motion. This compromise minimizes weight and preserves suspension geometry, while still allowing enough articulation for off-road use and air suspension dynamics.

In contrast to traditional trucks like the Ford Raptor or Ram TRX, which widen the chassis to accommodate suspension travel, Tesla uses inboard-mounted pickup points enabled by the EV-specific layout. Because the motors and gearboxes are offset — not concentric — Tesla can package components more tightly. This architectural freedom provides advantages in minimizing angles across half shafts and bushings, ultimately improving mechanical longevity and ride quality.

Braking System Observations

The teardown revealed a large, cast rotor paired with significant brake hardware — appropriate for a vehicle with the Cybertruck’s mass. Engineers pointed out weight-saving holes in the rotor, a strategy to offset the otherwise heavy components. Though small in appearance, these design choices accumulate in importance across the vehicle’s total weight budget.

Engineers noted an unusual assembly aid — a threaded hole in the wheel hub likely used to secure the rotor during assembly. Curiously, this fastener appears to be removed before final assembly — an unorthodox approach that may offer modest cost savings if reused across multiple builds. While minor, it shows Tesla’s ongoing efforts to iterate on even the smallest production details.

Structural Integration and Future Considerations

The teardown’s most compelling insight may be how Tesla’s use of gigacasting redefines what constitutes a cradle. Tesla offloads part of the cradle’s structural load onto the body using the upper control arms and integrated mounts. This approach blurs the line between chassis and subframe. This strategy allows Tesla to reduce the physical volume and mass of the cradle itself — although it places more responsibility on the precision and integrity of the gigacasting.

Engineers observed that seeing the cradle and drive module separately makes it hard to intuitively pair them. Only when considered within the full-body assembly do the structural relationships and attachment points become clear. This layered, interdependent design approach underscores Tesla’s unique engineering philosophy — one that pushes conventional platforms beyond familiar norms.

Cybertruck Rear Module Teardown Takeaways

From this teardown, several key takeaways emerge:

• Thermal strategy is central — Tesla’s integrated heat management loop simplifies architecture while improving energy efficiency.

• Structural innovation via gigacasting allows a reduction in component redundancy while demanding tighter tolerances.

• Manual assembly signs in areas like bushings and sway bar clamps reflect Cybertruck’s lower production volume and experimental nature.

• Rear steer functionality is tightly integrated into suspension and toe geometry, not just added on as an afterthought.

• Space optimization through inboard pickup points and offset gearboxes enables suspension travel without flared bodywork.

These design moves show how EV-specific architectures — particularly Tesla’s — are diverging from internal combustion vehicle platforms. As Cybertruck production scales and refinements are made, future iterations may see more automation-friendly processes, smarter material usage, and even deeper integration of active components like steer-by-wire.

Team Up With Munro

To dive deeper into EV architecture, stay tuned to Munro Live for continued Cybertruck teardown coverage, or reach out to our team at Munro & Associates for custom teardown insights, lean design consultations, and training on next-gen vehicle platforms.