Elon Musk has consistently claimed that Cybertrucks are bulletproof, inspiring some individuals to put this claim to the test on their own.
In 2019, during the unveiling of the electric truck, Musk boasted to the audience that the Cybertruck was practically indestructible.
To demonstrate its durability, he invited Tesla’s chief designer to throw a metal ball at one of its armored windows. Unfortunately, the window shattered.
Compounding the situation, they attempted the demonstration again with a different window, which also broke.
Musk remarked that the ball might have been thrown ‘a little too hard’.
Since that incident, the Tesla CEO and his chief designer have conducted another test, with more favorable results. Watch here:
Fast-forwarding to November 2023, the first batch of Cybertrucks hit the market. So far, nearly 30,000 of these distinctive vehicles have been sold.
According to Tesla’s website, the Cybertrucks are constructed from an ‘ultra-hard stainless-steel exoskeleton’, intended to ‘reduce dents, damage, and long-term corrosion’.
“Armor Glass can resist the impact of a baseball at 70 mph or class 4 hail. Acoustic glass helps make the cabin as quiet as outer space,” the website further details.
It also notes that repairs are ‘simple and quick’, something that Cybertruck owner Dante Colle will likely find reassuring.
On October 16, Dante posted a video on Twitter showing him firing a gun at his truck, and the outcome was not what he had hoped for.
Upon realizing that the bullet penetrated the stainless steel, a disheartened Dante placed his hands on his head.
Undeterred, Dante fired another shot at a different part of the truck, and this time, the bullet did not penetrate the metal.
Warning: Video contains strong language
Essentially, it appears there’s a 50/50 chance of a bullet piercing the car’s stainless steel. Personally, that’s a risk I’m not inclined to take.
Beyond the Cybertruck’s alleged bulletproof nature, before its launch, Musk claimed that the vehicle could be ‘briefly used as a boat’.
“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy,” he tweeted in September 2022.
Musk further elaborated: “Needs to be able to get from Starbase to South Padre Island, which requires crossing the channel.”
While he suggested the truck could transform into a boat for a limited time, Cybertrucks are actually equipped with a ‘Wade Mode’ that allows them to traverse shallow water.
This feature raises the vehicle’s ride height and pressurizes the battery when driving through water, but it can only be activated for 30 minutes.
Thus, the idea of the truck turning into a ‘boat’ might have been somewhat exaggerated…