Tesla has started a new competition to design the battery pack for the Cyberquad, implying that the carmaker is crowdsourcing R&D on the electric ATV, but this is more likely a recruiting push.
When Tesla debuted the Cybertruck in 2019, CEO Elon Musk had a "one more thing" moment on stage when they pulled out the Tesla Cyberquad, an electric ATV, to demonstrate the bed's cargo capability. It wasn't clear whether Tesla intended to make the electric ATV accessible at the time, but Musk later announced that it would be an option for Cybertruck owners.
We haven't heard much about the vehicle program since then, which isn't unexpected given that it is tied to the Cybertruck which has been pushed back to 2023.
However, with the release of the Cybertruck next year, Tesla will have to start working on bringing the electric ATV to market. It appears that the manufacturer is finally doing precisely that, but in an unexpected way.
Tesla announced the establishment of "the 2022 World Power Battery Conference Power Battery Integration and Management Technology Challenge" on its official Weibo account in China:
Tesla is inviting teams to submit concepts for a battery pack with 2170 cells that will fit in the Cyberquad. The company implies that the best design might wind up in the electric ATV, but it is also awarding rewards for the best concepts — up to RMB 200,000 ($30,000 USD).
Any "innovation and research teams" can submit their designs for the Cyberquard battery pack, not just student teams, according to Tesla. The competition will come to a close in July.
