New Tesla Cybertruck off-road video reveals sketchy ascent up Hollister Hill Stair Step climb

We reported last month about the Tesla Cybertruck being spotted trying out the Stair Step incline at the Hollister Hills SRVA (State Vehicular Recreation Area). More recently, a new set of videos has been posted from the same day more clearly showing the electric pickup truck climbing the obstacle.

While the Cybertruck does make it up the stairs without too much issue, there's some information to be gleaned about the EV's off-road performance. For starters, compared to other off-road-ready SUVs and pickups, the Cybertruck's suspension seems quite stiff and unresponsive — especially for a vehicle that Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, claims “Needs to kick butt in Baja.”

As the Tesla climbs up the dusty steps, the vehicle rocks and bounces from side to side, instead of having the suspension smooth out the bumps. This may be because the air suspension is at its highest, but it could also be caused by the Cybertruck using rather pedestrian-looking suspension hardware that wouldn't allow for much flex, by design.

The traction control system, which is likely what is being tested and fine-tuned in the clip, seems to be having a hard time handling the obstacles, since the Cybertruck initially exhibits quite a lot of wheel slip at the start of the incline. To be fair, the wheels also appear to have a lot more pressure than a typical off-roader would like, and the tyres are clearly more of a road-biased affair.

It's also worth noting that, while this Cybertruck prototype was a “release candidate,” meaning it should use final production-line tooling, it's likely that the engineers testing the electric pickup truck are still fine-tuning the electronic aspects of the vehicle. Things like traction control, electronic suspension, and throttle response are all electronically-controlled, and can drastically change with tweaks to the software — as Rivian recently did via an OTA update to the R1T and R1S.

Given the Cybertruck's expected ~6,900 lbs weight, it is to be expected that suspension tuning for off-road performance and comfort may be a challenge. That said, videos of the similarly-heavy Rivian R1T taking on the same Stair Step course have been posted online, revealing a more controlled, smoother ascent — aside from an occasional wheel spin. The Cybertruck is similarly outclassed by other vehicles, like a 2004 GMC Canyon, which crawled up the slope in a video posted to YouTube without much fuss at all.

It remains to be seen how the Cybertruck performs as either a work truck or an off-roader, but Elon Musk appears to want the vehicle to be a do-it-all vehicle. Tesla has scheduled a Cybertruck delivery event for November 30, so we may get a good look at what the EV is truly capable of on- and off-road before the end of the year.

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