“If you have an argument with another car, you will win”: Elon Musk said it when he presented the Tesla Cybertruck. This electric mass of more than three tons and 5.7 m long boasts bulletproof panels (although it does not withstand all projectiles) and is practically indestructible.
But that It doesn’t mean it’s safe.. Neither for the rest of the vehicles, nor for their occupants. And let alone if it runs over a pedestrian or knocks over a cyclist. In fact, there are insurers that do not directly allow you to take out a policy for the Cybertruck.
Almost intact after smashing into a sedan, but not necessarily safe
Units of the Tesla Cybertruck They have already had incidents. In March, one of these masses crashed into a Nissan Sentra at an intersection from the city of Tampa (Florida). Images of the accident went viral, despite the fact that it is a very common crash. The reason is that the poor Japanese sedan ended with the front completely destroyedwhile the electric pick-up hardly showed any damage. At least with the naked eye.
Shortly after it began to be sold, several crash tests of the Cybertruck were published. After seeing them, several road safety experts pointed out that it could be a dangerous car for other vehicles, pedestrians or even its occupants.
Cybertruck obliterated this Sentra. My gosh! More images in the RT below! pic.twitter.com/xRGf0FXDMo
— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) March 25, 2024
Too rigid a car. Cars are designed with programmed crumple zones to absorb the energy of a crash. If they do not have them, that energy will go to the weaker materials, the passengers and the other vehicle, if there is one. In the case of the Sentra it was clear that this was the case.
“If you are in a collision with another vehicle that has a crumple zone and your car is more rigid, then the other car is going to get crushed and yours will resist”, notes David Friedmanformer acting director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
But in addition to being a possible danger to other cars, which, as this accident has shown, end up with much more damage, it can also be a danger to the occupants of the Cybertruck themselves.
In this video of the crash testsafter a frontal impact you can see how the left rear wheel comes off. This generated concern among experts, since it could be sensed that Kinetic energy moved from the front to the rear wheel connection with the chassis.
Although there is still no data whether this affects passengers or not, it could be the case. Although it is also true that other videos showed that some elements of the chassis act as structural reinforcement and could absorb that energy in the event of a crash.
This summer, the Tesla Cybertruck reported its first fatal accident. He did not hit another vehicle: he left the road and ended up hitting a concrete pipe. The driver died, the pick-up bursting into flames. NHTSA opened an investigation into this accident. The cause is being studied, but also whether it correctly protected its occupant.
Potentially fatal in a collision and that is why it is not sold in Europe. In addition, the Tesla pick-up is also noted as a potential danger for pedestrians, due to its sharp shapes that can act as blades if they run over a pedestrian or cyclist, whose body absorbs the blow.
In fact, this is the reason why it cannot be marketed in Europe. The regulations in the Old Continent require a 3.2 mm rounding on the protruding parts. The Cybertruck’s steel panels are 1.4 mm. This means that to market here, you would have to redesign your panels and modify the production process. Which is not worth it since pick-ups do not have much of a market in Europe.
In short, the Tesla Cybertruck can indeed show little damage in accidents and can surely be repaired without problems, while cars that collide with it end up in the scrapyard. But the other side of the coin is what that may mean for other users.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
