The official Cybertruck account just spotlighted one of the truck's most practical built-in features: its motorized tonneau cover. It's easy to dismiss as a convenience item, but the engineering behind it is more substantial than most owners realize. Here's what's actually worth knowing.
1. It's built from stainless steel — and rated for 300 lbs
This isn't a soft vinyl roll-up. The tonneau cover is made from 29 individual extruded slats of 30X cold-rolled stainless steel, the same material family as the truck's exoskeleton. According to Tesla, the surface can support up to 300 lbs of static load — enough to sit on, store gear on top of, or handle incidental weight without buckling.
2. It locks automatically with Walk-Away Door Lock
The cover isn't just motorized — it's integrated into the vehicle's security system. When Walk-Away Door Lock is active, the tonneau closes and locks automatically as you walk away. No manual step required. For owners who regularly leave gear in the bed, this is the kind of passive security that actually changes daily habits.
3. Three ways to operate it
You can open or close the tonneau from exterior bed switches, the main touchscreen inside the cab, or remotely via the Tesla mobile app. The app control is particularly useful if you're loading the bed before you reach the truck — or if you want to check whether it's closed after you've already left.
4. It stops itself if something's in the way
The cover includes an obstacle detection feature: if it senses resistance during closure, it stops automatically rather than forcing shut. This matters in real-world use — a strap, a bag corner, or a tailgate left slightly ajar won't result in a damaged cover or trapped cargo.
5. Deployed, it adds up to 13 miles of range
Tesla states that running with the tonneau cover deployed can recover up to 13 miles of range compared to driving with an open bed. The aerodynamic benefit comes from sealing the bed cavity, which otherwise creates significant drag at highway speeds. It's not a dramatic number, but over frequent long-distance driving it adds up — and it costs nothing extra to use.
6. The bed it covers is genuinely large — but not fully waterproof
The Vault, as Tesla calls the Cybertruck's bed, measures 72.9 inches long with the tailgate up (roughly 96 inches with it down) and 51 inches wide at the floor. Total volume is 67 cubic feet. One caveat worth knowing: the tonneau cover protects cargo from most water exposure, but the bed is not fully waterproof. Water ingress and condensation can still occur, so anything moisture-sensitive should be bagged or crated accordingly.
The tonneau cover comes standard on Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast trims. For owners who haven't explored the app-based controls or the Walk-Away auto-lock integration, those two features alone are worth a few minutes in the settings menu.
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Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @cybertruck on X (2026-07-19T21:03:50.000Z) — Direct source
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