If we have already seen the Cybertruck driving, we have not seen it crash into a wall. It’s now done, thanks to a video from the DPCcars YouTube channel.
The latest addition to the Musk empire had already amazed us with its traction and acceleration capabilities compared to a small Porsche. With its engine of more than 800 horsepower, no real surprise, the SUV won hands down in a straight line. We are waiting for the bend test now, because the behemoth weighs its small weight, despite its weight loss treatment. Another interesting element to test: that of the safety of the machine. DPCcars therefore offered a short video to put the Cybertruck to the test.
Concerns around design and security
The futuristic-looking truck is actually made up of a stainless steel exoskeleton, totally innovative in today’s market. You have to go back to 1981 and the famous DeLorean to find a vehicle designed like this, that’s saying something! The problem is that this material can cause rather serious problems in the event of a collision. The former president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Adrian Lund, believes that the latter could worsen injuries in the event of an impact.
However, Musk declared in November that “ cold-rolled stainless steel body panels are designed to absorb shock in the event of an accident “. As we can see in the video, we can clearly see that the Cybertruck tends to deform much less than the other vehicle tested, a 2023 Dodge RAM 1500. The shock is therefore less well absorbed and Samer Hamdar, automobile safety expert, underlines that this aspect in particular could seriously harm users, pedestrians or cyclists.
Regulatory challenges for Europe
The design of the Cybertruck is cut out for American roads and very poorly adapted to the environment of the Old Continent. First of all, European regulations prohibit, for the reasons one can imagine, that vehicles approved for the road are equipped with protruding edges. For the moment, this would simply make it impossible to market here, even Lars Moravy, chief engineer at Tesla, admits this.
From an institutional point of view, the first reservations are already emerging. The European Transport Safety Council fears two aspects: the power of the vehicle and its excessive weight, which make it much more dangerous in the event of a collision. Afterwards, it’s hard to imagine Tesla giving up on the European market. It is very likely that the company will rework the overall design of the vehicle so that it can also be sold here. Will customers be there?
Source : Clean Automotive
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