Tesla started delivering the Cybertruck less than two weeks ago and the vehicle has come with several first-of-their-kind breakthroughs that will advance the automotive industry as a whole.
Some of these breakthroughs include the fact that the Cybertruck is the first vehicle to feature a steer-by-wire variable gain steering wheel system that makes the large truck a breeze to maneuver.
Tesla Starts Digging Boring Company Tunnels Under Giga Texas to Efficiently Deliver Parts Directly to the Production Line Through Tunnels @Tesla @elonmusk @WholeMarsBlog #Tesla https://t.co/vuMunNJrBD
— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) December 12, 2023
The Cybertruck is also the first vehicle in the world to feature a 48-volt low-voltage architecture. This allows Tesla to cut weight and cost and this is a move the entire automotive world has been trying to unsuccessfully execute for several years now.
The Cybertruck is also the first vehicle in the world to use ethernet cable to transfer data throughout the vehicle. This cuts latency, decreases cost, and makes diagnosing an issue with any part of the vehicle exceedingly easy since every part of the vehicle is connected using a single high-bandwidth ethernet cable loop.
The Cybrtruck also has one of the best air suspensions in the world with an industry-leading 12 inches of suspension travel and over 17 inches of true (without any differential parts hanging down) ground clearance.
Add to this performance that can outrun a Porsche 911 in a quarter mile while towing another Porsche 911 and, a stainless steel exoskeleton that gives the vehicle more torsional strength than supercars, then the Cybertruck, at least on paper, is shaping up to be an all-out vehicle to dominate the pickup truck space.
However, numbers are numbers but, how does the truck perform when faced with real-life challenging situations? We’ve already seen a Cybertruck go toe-to-toe against a Rivian R1T and a Ford F-150 Raptor R and Lightning in a drag race and challenging off-roading conditions.
Early VIN “Foundation Series” Cybertrucks are Selling for as Much as $350,000 Online. @Tesla @elonmusk#Cybertruckhttps://t.co/VHb1Jsh8Yt
— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) December 11, 2023
In the drag race, the Cybertruck was able to smoke the F-150 Raptor R while driving on a dirt road whereas the gas truck was racing on a pavement. The Cybertruck was especially dominant against the Rivian R1T and the Hummer EV in a drag race and it even managed to break the pickup truck speed record just a day after it was released.
However, despite the Cybertruck’s equally dominant off-roading specs, the Cybertruck was only able to perform similarly to or slightly worse than the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning in off-roading battles. These off-roading tests happened a few weeks ago when Tesla was still trying to flush out the Cybertruck’s final software ahead of the truck’s release.
Then how has the vehicle been performing in challenging off-roading situations since then? Well, we’re sad to report that the Cybertruck has not fared any better.
On Sunday, a Cybertruck was spotted carrying a Christmas tree on the Corral Hollow OHV trail in California. Sadly, even in this moderately challenging off-roading situation, the Cybertruck was stuck, and even more embarrassingly, the truck had to be towed by a Ford F Series truck which is the Cybertruck’s main competitor.
The video was shared on the “Jeep Gladiator’s Only” Facebook club and Cybertruck detractors are seen celebrating the truck’s failure with some even going as far as to say a “real truck” had to come and rescue the all-electric truck.
caption on the post says they slid off the trail!
i will say, the cybertruck looks good out there in the snow & hauling that christmas tree. 🌲❄️📐 pic.twitter.com/au1bp0t3RO
— jordan (@AstroJordy) December 12, 2023
The optics certainly don’t look good for Tesla however, the person who posted the video shared a bit more information about the situation.
The person who posted the Cybertruck video wrote saying…
Figured you all would enjoy this. Posting this purely for entertainment, not brand bashing. I also didn't record these. This was from my friend who went to Corral Hollow OHV a day after I did.
Saturday, my group got held up for almost 2 hours by a solo 4Runner that hit a tree slid into another tree then buried himself so that was 3 recoveries in a row.
Sunday, my buddy's group was held up by a Cyber truck and he sent me these videos. I was not there…
Cyber truck:
-Software issue that caused rear brakes to not act like
"lockers"
- wrong tires
-not aired down
-prototype model so it had no recovery or pickup points so it was recovered using the suspension
Don't go places without being prepared and def don't go solo and unprepared with a little kid, (4Runner)
Enjoy!
From the description, it does appear that several one-off mistakes led to the Cybertruck getting stuck on this relatively non-challenging off-road trail.
More info on the Cybertruck stuck on a snowy hill: lockers did work, recovery points missing, and wrong tires.
CT wasn’t their only recovery that day 😅 pic.twitter.com/cmNa4w0hYD
— The Cybertruck Guy (@cybrtrkguy) December 12, 2023
The issue with the rear brakes also appears to be something that can be fixed through an over-the-air update which means the all-electric truck still has a chance to perform to the full extent of the truck’s on-paper specs.
Currently, the few situations in which we’ve seen the Cybertruck off-roading do not inspire confidence however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the all-electric truck undergoes more independent tests.
Until then, visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Surprised to see the Cybertruck get stuck in this relatively non-challenging off-roading situation? Do you think the Tesla Cybertruck will be an offroading champion as the vehicle’s specs suggest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: The Cybertruck Guy on X
For more information check out: MKBHD Releases Cybertruck 2nd Impressions Video – “All the Numbers Except 0 to 60 Mph are Worst Than They Promised, 1st Time That’s True for Tesla”
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.
Comments
That was a good laugh. So…
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That was a good laugh. So much for the Cybertruck in an apocalypse,