“Indestructible” Tesla Cybertruck defeated by traffic pole

A TikTok user filmed the aftermath of a Tesla Cybertruck crash after the white EV wrapped itself around a traffic light pole in the US.

The video, uploaded by TikTok user ‘PilotJennie,’ shows a completely totaled Tesla Cybertruck, bringing Elon Musk’s claims that Cybertrucks are “indestructible” and “apocalypse proof” into question.

Although the driver emerged from the ordeal unscathed, the Cybertruck took a beating, as the car's hood seemed to crumple like a sheet of paper.

In the video reuploaded to X by user ‘Drive Tesla,’ the front wheel looks almost completely detached. The front of the EV took most of the impact in the middle, potentially a weak spot.

What looks to be a near brand new @Tesla Cybertruck wrapped in satin white was involved in a crash earlier today in Savannah, Georgia.

Fortunately the driver was ok, but the Cybertruck is totalled. It even still had the paper delivery floor mat in the driver footwell. pic.twitter.com/kLcrzyaoMw

undefined Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) July 28, 2024

This could also be identified as “the crumple zone,” a spot in the car that absorbs impact in the event of a crash.

Samer Hamdar, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at George Washington University, told Reuters that he raised concerns about the lack of crumple zones present within Cybertrucks.

It seems that this video demonstrates that the Cybertruck does in fact have crumple zones.

“That's a hard hit. So much for no crumple zone. Glad everyone was ok!,” one user on the forum Cybertruck Owners Club wrote.

However, a post on X explained how the “crumple zone” on a Cybertruck works, which shed light on why this Cybertruck was in such bad shape after the crash.

“It's not about the size of your crumple zone, it's about how you use it. When in a high-speed collision, Cybertruck’s front underbody casting is designed to break into small pieces. This helps reduce occupant impact by absorbing and dispensing energy,” the post said.

Small pieces of the Cybertruck’s innards can be seen spilling out of the bottom of the EV, which makes sense as the EV is designed to “break into small pieces.”

It's not about the size of your crumple zone, it's about how you use it

When in a high-speed collision, Cybertruck’s front underbody casting is designed to break into small pieces. This helps reduce occupant impact by absorbing & dispensing energy pic.twitter.com/84JiGzzw1M

undefined Cybertruck (@cybertruck) December 12, 2023

The Cybertruck Owners Club user who posted the crash that happened in Savannah, Georgia, explained that “this looked to be a very new delivery since you can still see delivery papers on the floor.”

This isn’t the first time a Cybertruck has taken a beating. One Tesla owner attempted to test out the truck’s ‘Wade Mode’ and managed to get stuck in a river in Bratislava.

Cybertrucks are seemingly no match for the Chinese desert either, as one user alleged that the vehicle “rolled down a steep hill, and it appears badly damaged.”

Users have even beaten, bruised, and abused their vehicles to test their durability.

However, Cybertrucks are useful if you plan on being around feral animals, as one EV managed to protect precious cargo from furry theives.