Tesla Finally Responds to the Cybertruck Tow-Hitch Controversy, Says “The 11,000 lb Tow Rating Isn't Absolute”

Good job of still not explaining this properly. I understood this thoroughly before I read your article and this just almost confused me. Sheesh

I really don't understand how this is such a big deal. This is the same with all vehicles with tow hitches. My f250 had an enormous towing capacity and a vertical load capacity that was much higher when the the gooseneck hitch was utilized. If I am carrying bags of groceries, I would hold them close to my body (center of my vertical load capacity). I would not extend my arms out at the distance would appear to be heavier (even though it is the same weight) and put a heavy fatigue on all parts associated with the load. This is something that becomes a common sense understanding, not an issue that engineers need to explain or draw out. Try this theory with any and all other vehicles with towing. Try towing a camper or car trailer. Appears that Tesla is just being a target again.

I really don't understand how this is such a big deal. This is the same with all vehicles with tow hitches. My f250 had an enormous towing capacity and a vertical load capacity that was much higher when the the gooseneck hitch was utilized. If I am carrying bags of groceries, I would hold them close to my body (center of my vertical load capacity). I would not extend my arms out at the distance would appear to be heavier (even though it is the same weight) and put a heavy fatigue on all parts associated with the load. This is something that becomes a common sense understanding, not an issue that engineers need to explain or draw out. Try this theory with any and all other vehicles with towing. Try towing a camper or car trailer. Appears that Tesla is just being a target again.

How can you claim 11000 in tension but only 160 in the vertical? When braking the tongue loads increase as the towed mass pushes the towing vehicle.

I own a Class B camper and this has been a topic of discussion on a couple forums. The OEM Promaster hitch is rated at 3500 lbs tow and 350 lbs vertical load. But those of us who throw a two bike carrier on there with a couple of ebikes are having the hitches fail even though we are only at approx 200 lbs. Well actually its the van body itself where the hitches are attached that is failing. The problem is the lever action created by the hitch bouncing is applying a lot more than 350 lbs of force. The further that weight is from the hitch the greater the force.
So my point is, this is not unique at all to Cyber trucks.

Can't really speak in absolutes in the automotive industry. There's tow capacities that vehicles are rated for but will still damage the vehicle.

One of our vehicles is rated for 5k lbs. But it's a terrible weight and experience to tow at. Yet... We use this vehicle to pull our boat anyway lol. And our transmission and suspension take the toll.

I think that even at "1100 lbs" the capability is very weak.

The Cybertruck should be able to do truck things, and that means towing big trailers. And given the Cybertruck's size and mass and power, it should be able to tow a big trailer frequently.

Clearly, the frame needs some reinforcement around the tow hitch so that the weight of the towed equipment can be better distributed onto the Cybertruck's frame.

It seems pretty clear that Tesla messed up their original owner's manual and has used the distance from hitch reasoning to fix it.

A little bit of clarification that might help.

A steel structure is very ductile. When overloaded it will be damaged by bending. The bending will typically be recoverable by bending it back. Steel car bodies are repaired/straightened all the time of course.

An alloy casting (however mega/giga/hyper the gobbledegook) is mostly not ductile, so when the load rating is exceeded sufficently, it'll snap fully off with loud boink. And when the two bits are offered up to each other, they'll fit neatly and show some small stretching during the tearing/fracture.

Cars have a hard life, mechanically - even more so when towing.

A steel structure will harden/fatigue through repeated abuse and displace/tear progressively in general. And can be welded back on.

A cast alloy structure will go all at once, and respond badly to cyclic overloading. And respond badly to welding, in general.

QED, don't make car chassis parts out of light metal alloy by casting.

How many more deficiencies lie in wait for the unwary? Cybertruck only good for pushing off cliffs.

"Still a great truck though" - right?? LOL

This is so comical

All I saw was a whole bunch of words saying that the Cyber Truck could but shouldn't tow a trailer.

should call it the Cyber Flop. Useless.

It would be helpful if they added a raised/drop hitch load chart also as these hitches will reduce load limits as they get higher or lower from the center of the receiver. I also have to assume it would change both the max tow and vertical load limits.

So it's a "truck" only because Tesla calls it a truck but can't do anything a real truck can. Another win for the DePlorean!

So. You can push down on it 1000 pounds as long as you don't try to torque it downward. The longer your lever-arm, the less weight it will tolerate.

The trailer hitch is maybe 8 inches past the pin. 4 bicycle rack is, say, 32 inches. 4 times longer so 4 times less load.

Looking at the table and the mount would let us figure out the rating for any length.

Keep buffing that turd. It'll start shining one of these days.

So you gotta be a sissy boy nerd to drive a Tesla. Get out of here.

It's almost like a bunch of truck people don't actually know how towing or tow ratings work.

This is common knowledge in the actual logistics and hotshot world

Only a dirt bike or enduro or small road bike would be less than 375 pounds, without any accessories.And the weight of the motorcycle mount would also decrease the payload.My 1983 Honda XL 600r dual purpose bike, made for off road, weighs about 305 pounds, plus a rear rack and weight of motorcycle mount would be close to the weight limit.A newer enduro or dirt bike with electric starter and radiator would be 350 to 400 pounds for a 600 or 650 cc .

From the picture, I can not see a regular tow hitch, that should have thick steel tubing bolted to the frame on both sides.The picture looks like the bumper is where the tow ball bolts to, and it looks like the bumper broke off from trying to pull too much weight, or like what would happen if you gunned the motor while trying to pull out a large stump, and the bumper lost.From the picture, there were no steel frame rails visible, like you would see an most any gasoline engine type pickup truck with body on frame construction.The unibody type construction found on small cars still has a steel frame in the rear section, but would not be rated for a 2 inch receiver, only rated for small receiver if at all rated.

So um let me get this right.

By using some funky math we can say the cyberpunk can tow 11000 pounds..

And we do so by simply putting the weight very far back therefore making the tongue weight to be very low.. eg not to exceed 160 pounds.

This just seems to build up the chance of accident when the heavy very far back load causes unstable oscillation of the lightly loaded tongue with respect to the weight on the very far back of the trailer

There is a reason for the 10% rule... And fancy math doesn't change that at highway speeds in a crosswind!

How does this compare with other trucks?

Not for nothing, but I don’t see many pickup trucks carrying too many motorcycle carriers on the hitch. Actually, I don’t recall ever seeing it. Saw hundreds in the bed of the truck though. Or on a trailer. I think this is an overblown issue.

Only Tesla could take something in use for this many ages and make it feel complicated been driving trucks for years and never seen failures like the CTs ..

If i see a CT towing i will be keeping my distance.

So how does that compare to other trucks , missing context would be useful here

I am one that cancelled their order on the Cyber Junk. My 2024 GMC 2500HD Diesel is able to tow 20,000 pounds on the bumper which I need for work. The Cyber Truck is great for pretty boys with soft hands and jobs.

This "truck" is a joke if it's not an 11,000 lb absolute limit don't try to trick people into thinking it is. They should be sued for false advertising.