[WATCH] Tesla Cybertruck Rejects Some Bullets, But Not All Of Them
Photo 113735356 © Björn Birkhahn | Dreamstime.com
Elon Musk’s promise of the Tesla Cybertruck being bulletproof has been put to the ultimate test, with YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything pulling out the big guns—ranging from 9mm handguns to the formidable .50-caliber rifle—to see if this futuristic vehicle could stand up to the kind of firepower it’s claimed to endure.
The test commenced with 9mm rounds, a common choice for personal defense and widely used in law enforcement. The pickup’s panels withstood these initial trials, absorbing the impact without allowing penetration, though they did not escape unscathed and bore the marks of severe dents as evidence of the encounter.
Next up were .22-caliber rounds, known for their light weight, high velocity, and often being used in shooting sports and small game hunting. The .17-caliber rounds, notable for their speed, flat trajectory, and popularity among varmint hunters, followed.
The stakes were raised further with the inclusion of .223-caliber rounds, synonymous with the AR-15 rifle.
As the caliber increased, so did the damage, but the pickup’s panels held strong against penetration until, finally, the .50 caliber rounds—usually loaded into heavy machine guns and military sniper rounds—took their turn. These bullets proved too much for the Cybertruck, breaching the door and wreaking havoc on the interior trim.
The experiment, conducted in a controlled shooting range, revealed that while the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton could deflect various types of bullets, it isn’t invulnerable. Repeated hits or larger rounds found their way through the armor, challenging the notion of the vehicle’s bulletproof nature. The windows, made of standard automotive glass, shattered under the stress of larger calibers.
Let this be the last Cybertruck bulletproof test on the internet. We have so many Cybertruck reservation holders who would love to receive their reservations instead of seeing a CyberTruck get shot at. Now, JerryRigEverything has taken it to the next level: a 50 caliber! pic.twitter.com/nla2aIX36u
— CyberTruck ð• (@day_to_Mars) March 8, 2024
So it seems that while the Cybertruck offers a degree of protection against impact from common handguns and rifles, it falls short of being the impervious, doomsday fortress some might have hoped for. For the electric pickup to inch closer to that reality, a subsequent generation would first need to use armored glass too.
[via Autoblog and JerryRigEverything, cover photo 113735356 © Björn Birkhahn | Dreamstime.com]
