Tesla Cybertruck's angular design sparks safety concerns, experts demand crash test data

The angular design of the recently launched Tesla Cybertruck has sparked safety concerns among experts, who are demanding that the vehicle's crash test data be shared, the news agency Reuters reported early Saturday (Dec 9). On Nov 30, Tesla launched the Cybertruck in its factory in Austin, and the crash test videos that it live-streamed were heavily discussed on social media.

Tesla touted the structures of the truck as that absorb impact during the crash. In a post on X, Tesla's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said on Tuesday that he was "highly confident" that Cybertruck would be safer than other trucks for occupants and pedestrians.

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The safety concerns

Speaking to Reuters, safety experts said that the electric pickup truck's stiff stainless-steel exoskeleton could hurt pedestrians and cyclists and damage other vehicles on roads.

As Tesla live-streamed the crash test videos during the launch event, experts demanded crash-test data to reach firm conclusions about safety.

"The big problem there is if they really make the skin of the vehicle very stiff by using thick stainless steel, then when people hit their heads on it, it's going to cause more damage to them," said Adrian Lund, the former president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), whose vehicle crash tests are an industry standard.

Samer Hamdar, a professor of auto safety at George Washington University raised concerns about limited crumple zones- which are parts of the car that can deform in a crash in a way to more safely absorb the energy of an impact.

"There might be a possibility of shock-absorbent mechanism that will limit the fact that you have a limited crumple zone," Professor Hamdar said.

"If you're in a crash with another vehicle that has a crumple zone and your car is more stiff, then their cars are going to crush and yours is resistant," David Friedman, the former acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said.

Meanwhile, Julia Griswold, director of the University of California, Berkeley's Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, said she was alarmed by the crash test videos that Tesla live-streamed.

She said the heavy weight of the trucks and their high acceleration "raise red flags for non-occupants."

The Cybertruck is available at a starting price of $60,990, and Musk has said the vehicle will likely reach a production rate of roughly 250,000 Cybertrucks a year in 2025.

(With inputs from agencies)