Tesla crash test footage released, only that’s not what happens in the wild
Tesla has released footage from its Cybertruck crash test back in 2023, where the team says it's the safest pickup truck on the market – well, we’ll see about that.
Image by Cybernews
Tesla has released footage from its Cybertruck crash test back in 2023, where the team says it's the safest pickup truck on the market – well, we’ll see about that.
Tesla’s Cybertruck is possibly the most polarizing electric vehicle (EV) on the market. You either love it, or you hate it.
Those who own a Cybertruck usually love them, and those who see them as dystopian eyesores usually hate them.
But there’s one thing road users can agree on – if it’s safe, then there really is no problem.
Despite the boatload of Cybertruck crashes reported by Cybernews and other media, Tesla has just released a video in which the team claims that its electric pickup truck is the safest out there.
Engineering Cybertruck for maximum safety pic.twitter.com/VGMCEnGm0R
undefined Cybertruck (@cybertruck) February 19, 2025
The video titled “Engineering Cybertruck for maximum safety” has gathered 1.6 million views on X and shows various Cybertruck crash and rollover tests.
The first test shows the Cybertruck impacting a wall full-frontal at 35 miles per hour, which one team member says is one of the “most severe crash tests in the industry.”
From the video, you can see that the full-frontal impact completely destroys the windscreen and the front bumper, which completely crumples.
Cybernews previously reported an incident affecting the EV’s crumple zone after a TikTok user filmed one driver after crashing their Cybertruck into a traffic light pole.
What looks to be a near brand new @Tesla Cybertruck wrapped in satin white was involved in a crash earlier today in Savannah, Georgia.
undefined Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) July 28, 2024
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
While the Cybertruck did its job of protecting the occupant driving, the front of the vehicle itself was completely wrecked.
As explained in the video, the Cybertruck casting is going to break off into “tiny pieces,” as the smaller the pieces it breaks into, the more efficient the structure is.
It's not about the size of your crumple zone, it's about how you use it
undefined Cybertruck (@cybertruck) December 12, 2023
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
Roll-over tests were also performed, and they showed different ranges from ramp roll-overs to full roll-overs.
The suspension in these tests helped in the curb trip and soil ditch tests, and even with the full rollover, the vehicle didn’t look totaled.
In the wild, however, one Cybertruck was almost completely destroyed after it flipped and rolled over in the Mongolian Desert despite a Cybetruck team member saying that the EV has the lowest probability of rollover. However, the driver did walk away, mainly unharmed.
Tesla Cybertruck flips and rolls over in Mongolian Desert - Driver walks away without major injuries:
undefined Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) July 10, 2024
The accident occurred in the Alxa Desert of Inner Mongolia, where a Cybertruck rolled down a steep hill and sustained significant damage. This particular truck was a gray market… pic.twitter.com/sGShpg2gfN
One Cybertruck team member said that the EV has “the lowest probability of injury.”
However, media have reported Cybertruck accidents where drivers have come too close to serious injury, and others weren’t able to avoid a fatality.
In 2024, a Cybertruck burst into flames after colliding with a culvert in the US. The incident was reportedly one of the first fatal Cybertruck crashes since the vehicle's release.
Another situation involved a Cybertruck driving in Full Self Driving mode that failed to merge out of a lane that was ending, hit the curb, and crashed into a pole in Nevada's Reno city, Reuters reported.
While this X video may just seem like a promotional stunt, could it be Tesla getting ready to aid the US government?
The State Department has scrubbed the mention of “armored Teslas” from procurement documents but still plans to spend almost half a billion dollars on the now unspecified “armored electric vehicles.”