If you hop into the driver's seat of a Tesla Cybertruck, your eyes will naturally drift upward to that familiar wedge of glass attached to the windshield. It’s there. The Cybertruck rear view mirror exists, but it feels like a glitch in the Matrix.
You look at it. You see... nothing.
Well, not nothing. You see the motorized tonneau cover. If that cover is closed—which it usually is to preserve the truck's aerodynamics and range—the mirror is basically a glorified selfie station. It's a weird paradox. Tesla, a company that loves to kill off "redundant" hardware like stalks and ultrasonic sensors, kept a physical mirror that is functionally useless 90% of the time.
Why? Because the law is a stubborn thing.
The Regulatory Headache Behind the Cybertruck Rear View Mirror
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111 is the reason your stainless steel beast has a mirror that mostly shows you a black plastic shutter. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pretty clear: vehicles must have an inside rearview mirror that provides a field of view of a certain distance and width behind the car.
Tesla couldn't just ship it without one.
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Even though the Cybertruck is packed with cameras, the US hasn't fully transitioned to a "camera-only" legal framework for mirrors. If the tonneau cover is open, the mirror works. You can see out the back window. But once you close that vault, the physical mirror becomes a dead zone. Honestly, it’s one of those design compromises that reminds you how much legacy regulations can clash with futuristic "first principles" engineering.
Some owners find it distracting. They’ve even gone so far as to pop the mirror off entirely, though that’s technically a legal gray area if you’re ever pulled over or inspected. Most just ignore it. You sort of have to.
How You Actually See Behind You
Since the physical mirror is a dud when the bed is covered, Tesla moved the actual "viewing" experience to the 18.5-inch central touchscreen.
When you’re driving, you’ll notice a persistent video feed at the top of your screen. This is the digital version of your Cybertruck rear view mirror, and it’s arguably much better than a piece of glass ever could be. It uses a high-definition camera mounted just above the rear license plate.
This camera is crisp. Even at night, the low-light performance is lightyears ahead of what your eyes would see through a tinted back window. But it’s not perfect. Since the camera is mounted lower than a traditional mirror, the perspective is a bit "off" if you’ve been driving traditional trucks for twenty years. It feels more like you’re looking out from the bumper than from the cab.
Rain, Mud, and the "Blindness" Factor
Here is where things get a little dicey. Most modern SUVs that use digital mirrors (like the Chevy Silverado EV or some Land Rovers) put the camera inside the rear glass or under a little "eyebrow" spoiler.
Tesla? They put the camera for the Cybertruck rear view mirror feed right in the thick of it.
If you’re off-roading or driving through a slushy Chicago winter, that lens is going to get coated in gunk. Fast. There is no dedicated washer nozzle for that specific camera. You’ll find yourself wiping it off with your thumb more often than you’d like. It’s a classic Tesla move: sleek aesthetics over practical, "dirty world" utility.
The Aftermarket Fixes People are Already Using
Because the factory setup feels a bit disjointed, the aftermarket scene for the Cybertruck is already exploding. People want a dedicated screen where a mirror should be.
Several companies are developing "Digital Rearview Mirror" kits. These are essentially long, rectangular LCDs that clip over or replace the factory Cybertruck rear view mirror. They connect to a dedicated camera you mount elsewhere.
- Hansshow and T Sportline are the names you usually hear in this space.
- They provide a 9-inch or 10-inch screen that stays on all the time.
- It mimics the experience of a traditional mirror but uses a 1080p feed.
Is it overkill? Maybe. But for people who can't get used to looking at the center tablet to see who’s tailgating them, it’s a $300 to $500 investment that makes the truck feel "normal" again.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Camera Feed
There’s a common misconception that the camera feed on the screen is the only way to see behind you. Don't forget the side mirrors. Tesla originally wanted to ship the Cybertruck without side mirrors too—Elon Musk famously called them "drag-inducing appendages"—but they’re there because of the law.
Interestingly, they are removable. Tesla designed them so owners could take them off for off-roading or for a "clean" look on private property. However, if you take off the side mirrors AND you have the tonneau cover closed, your only link to the world behind you is that single camera feed on the screen.
That’s a lot of trust to put in a piece of software.
The Nuance of Night Driving
Driving the Cybertruck at night is a trip. The digital feed doesn't suffer from "headlight glare" the way a traditional Cybertruck rear view mirror would. Digital sensors can "gate" the light, meaning the lifted F-150 behind you with high beams on won't blind you. The screen just shows two bright white circles without the piercing retina-burn.
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That’s a win.
But there’s a trade-off: depth perception. Humans are great at using binocular vision to judge distance in a mirror. On a 2D screen? Not so much. It takes a few weeks for your brain to recalibrate how far away that car really is when you're preparing to change lanes on the 405.
Real-World Reliability
So, what happens if the screen freezes? It’s rare, but it happens. Tesla’s infotainment system is generally robust, but it’s still a computer. If your screen reboots while you’re driving—a "black screen" event—you are effectively blind to your rear for about 30 to 60 seconds.
In a normal car, you’d just look at your glass mirror. In the Cybertruck, if that tonneau is closed, you’ve got nothing. This is the primary criticism from safety advocates like Consumer Reports and various automotive engineers. Relying 100% on a digital interface for a critical safety function is a bold move, even for Tesla.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
If you just took delivery or you're on the waiting list, here is how to handle the mirror situation so you don't end up frustrated.
Check your Tonneau status. If you really miss your physical mirror, you have to leave the bed open. This will drop your efficiency by about 10%, but you’ll get your line of sight back. It's a trade-off between range and visibility.
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Master the "Swipe Down" gesture. You can quickly pull up the camera feeds on the main screen with a gesture. Make this muscle memory. You want those cameras visible whenever you’re in heavy traffic.
Keep a microfiber cloth in the door pocket. Since the rear camera is exposed to the elements, it will get dirty. A quick wipe whenever you stop for a Charge or a coffee will save you from a blurry, useless feed later that night.
Adjust the "Mirror" settings in the menu. You can actually tilt and zoom the side mirrors via the steering wheel scrolls, but the rear camera feed on the screen also has some viewing angle options. Spend ten minutes in your driveway getting it dialed in.
The Cybertruck rear view mirror is a vestigial organ. It’s the appendix of the automotive world—it’s there because evolution (and the NHTSA) hasn't quite figured out how to get rid of it yet. You’ll likely never use the glass, but you’ll rely on the technology replacing it every single day.
For now, treat the physical mirror as a backup for when you're hauling a load of lumber with the tailgate down. For everything else, get used to the screen. It’s the future, whether we’re fully ready for it or not.