Tesla Cybertruck crash test results previewed in drone footage point to safe electric pickup occupants

Last week, we saw multiple units of the Tesla Cybertruck lining up for crash testing at Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas, and before that, we saw one of the most frustrating April Fools pranks. More recent drone images posted by @JoeTegtmeyer on X (fka Twitter) reveal significant front-end damage to the Cybertruck from crash test damage.

While no official results have been released, the aftermath of the crash testing may provide some clues about how Tesla's Cybertruck performed during its traumatic end. At first glance, the damage to the front end seems severe, but there are two key factors to note.

Firstly, the damage to the Cybertruck appears to stop almost completely just shy of the start of the gargantuan front windscreen. Secondly, the airbags inside the Cybertruck seem to have deployed. This indicates that, although the vehicle is obviously toast, the occupants — likely inorganic analogues or empty air, in this case — would probably have escaped relatively safely.

Little is known about the tests Tesla has carried out on this and other Cybertruck test units, in terms of velocity, angle, and occupants, but these images should at least serve to somewhat quell concerns about the Cybertruck's safety when it comes to crumple zones and material stiffness. If the front of the vehicle deforms appropriately to absorb the impact of an accident, the occupants are far less likely to be harmed.

It's unclear whether the Cybertruck would have performed the same way if Tesla had gone through with the load-bearing stainless steel exoskeleton.

Previous Tesla models have all performed admirably in third-party crash testing, but the Cybertruck will be Tesla's first pickup truck and the company's first vehicle of that stature — both factors that could significantly impact the outcome of any safety testing.

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