Creepy image showing what a ‘Cybertruck in 2040’ will look like is not what people were expecting

Elon Musk's cult electric pickup, the Cybertruck, is pretty much the most futuristic thing out on the road right now.

With its modern design and forward-thinking features - including a stainless steel exterior - there's no wonder it's racked up such a long waiting list.

But have you ever considered what the Cybertruck might look like in 2040?

Maybe it'll come in a rainbow of colors - rather than the three it's currently offered in - and who knows what new features it might have.

But one Redditor has taken this brief rather literally, and visualized what a Cybertruck might look like in 16 years - and the future doesn't look particularly pretty for this vehicle.

The truck is pictured half-buried in the undergrowth, with plants growing out of the cargo bed and the stainless steel exoskeleton rusty and scratched.

It's not a huge surprise - according to analytics company IHS Markit, the average lifespan for US light trucks and cars is 11.9 years.

So if you were lucky to get your hands on one of the first Cybertrucks, chances are you wouldn't be driving the same model by 2040.

The image has caused quite the stir on Reddit, with commenters speculating that the image was created by AI.

Anadolu / Contributor / Getty

One big indicator that artificial intelligence created the picture?

"AI cannot help but put door handles on their Cybertruck prompts," one commenter joked - and the image certainly does seem to feature door handles, something that the real truck doesn't.

Instead, the doors are opened by a button you press on the window column.

It's all part of Tesla's bid to make it the sleekest pickup out there - with nothing as inconvenient as door handles getting in the way of the design. Apparently the company initially didn't even want to add wing mirrors to the truck, but they had to due to road regulations.

While some commenters think the picture's prediction is pretty accurate ("Stainless steel trains still rust, I don’t see why the Cybertruck shouldn’t rust as well," one wrote), others don't quite agree.

Another commented: "It's a new blend. Take a listen to Lars (Chief engineer) describing the SS mix. It's tough and rust 'resistant'."