Images of a Tesla Cybertruck Engulfed in Fire Fuel Online Hoaxes

A new Cybertruck image is making rounds all over the internet. As you can see in the picture above, the image purportedly shows a Cybertruck engulfed in fire as it’s left to burn at the beach.

Given the blaze and fumes, the image is certainly terrifying and would be a reasonable cause for concern for anyone considering purchasing a Cybertruck or any other electric vehicle.

That would at least be the case if the image is true. However, a close examination of this fantastical picture shows that it is not only fake but also AI-generated.

The Cybertruck fire images appear to be part of a string of AI-generated Tesla Cybertruck scams being disseminated online to spread misinformation about the vehicle.

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Image courtesy of Jeff Spring Shu on facebook
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Another AI-generated Cybertruck image making its rounds on the internet we debunked includes the supposed first Cybertruck on Cybertruck public crash showing the catastrophic aftermath after one Cybertruck rear-ended another Cybertruck at high speed.

At a glance, those images looked real; however, a close inspection of the images shows that not only are they fake, but specifically, that generative AI was used to create those fake images.

Returning to pictures of a Cybertruck engulfed in fire; there are two classic tell-tale signs that confirm without any doubt that a Cybertruck picture is AI-generated. And these are…

1. Door Handles
2. Sideview mirrors

Before we examine the pictures in detail, here is some background that is essential to this exercise.

Since Tesla first showed off the Cybertruck prototype back in November 2019, the EV maker has made several changes to the final version of the vehicle.

Numerous internal changes have resulted in an overall better vehicle, discounting one major disappointment: the lower-than-advertised range.

However, if we strictly examine the final version of the Cybertruck from the exterior perspective, the two main changes are the position of the door handle and the side-view mirrors.

The initial variants of the Cybertruck Tesla showed off back in 2019 did not include a side view mirror. However, because of regulations, Tesla had to add side view mirrors to the final version of the Cybertruck that was delivered to customers.

Tesla officially showed off the Cybertruck with side-view mirrors in late 2023. However, since most of the AI models currently in use were trained with data only going up to 2022, the image of the Cybertruck they create is almost always without any side view mirror.

Another similar failing of generative AI when it comes to the Cybertruck is the changes Tesla made to the Cybertruck’s door handles between the prototype and the final customer deliverable Cybertruck variant.

The Cybertruck prototypes had a cutout on the stainless steel door panels for a door handle. This is similar to the Tesla Model S and X, where the door handles will be recessed and flash with the doors but pop out to allow people to grab them when opening the doors.

However, pretty early in Cybertruck’s final design process, Tesla and Elon Musk realized that cutting a door handle-shaped opening on the Cybertruck’s thick stainless steel exterior would be a challenge.

To circumvent this issue, Tesla moved the Cybertruck door handles to the B and C pillars. Now, when you press the bottom portion of the Cybertruck pillars, the doors automatically pop out, and you can open your Cybertruck by holding it by the top portion of the door.

However, similar to the issue with the side view mirrors, the AI models do not recognize these later changes to the Cybertruck.

Now, going back to the Cybertruck on fire picture, you can see that first, the vehicle does not have a side view mirror, and even more egregiously, the Cybertruck seen here has cut-outs for the door handle not present in any Cybertruck delivered to customers.

These inconsistencies in the image conclusively prove that the pictures are faked, and they have been faked using generative AI.

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This brings us to our next question: Why are people spreading these images online? Many Cybertruck detractors and electric vehicle naysayers are using these pictures to increase fear about EV technology.

However, according to the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), internal combustion vehicles are 60 times more likely to catch on fire than electric vehicles.

Even more surprisingly, the NTSB finds that hybrid vehicles are 140 times more likely to catch on fire than electric vehicles.

NTSB shares 25 out of 100,000 electric vehicles on the road catch fire, whereas the number grows to 1,530 out of 100,000 for internal combustion vehicles and dramatically grows to 3475 out of 100,000 hybrid vehicles.

We hope that despite all the misinformation out there, these statistics put you at ease. Electric vehicles are perfectly safe and are much less likely to catch on fire than internal combustion vehicles or hybrids.

Overall, it’s disappointing to see the level of Cybertruck misinformation circulating around the internet; however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as we see more examples.

Until then, make sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

So, what do you think? Are you surprised by the level of hate the Cybertruck appears to generate? Also, what other inconsistencies do you see in the Cybertruck fire image? Let us know your thoughts in the comments by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below.

Image: Courtesy of Jeff Spring Shu on Facebook

For more information, check out: Thousands of Tesla Investors Sign On to Protect Elon Musk as Musk Shares Two Gunmen Had Already Come for His Life

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.