Elon Musk has often said that he imagines the Cybertruck as the truck to ride out the Apocalypse in. It’s big, it’s awesome, and more importantly, it’s made to withstand whatever you throw at it.
With only one prototype having been made so far (that we know of) and no way of being able to verify Musk’s claims on it, here’s perhaps the next best thing to it. One YouTube user, Bob Edwards, took a sheet of steel similar to the type used in the Cybertruck and proceeded to test it thoroughly.
He used 304-series stainless steel, 3mm thick, cold-rolled, but not hardened. As per Tesla's official press release, the body of the all-electric truck will be made of something called Ultra-Hard 30X stainless steel, which most likely means it’s hardened, cold-rolled. Musk once said it’s the same material used by SpaceX in the Starship prototype and argued that it would be “bulletproof to a nine millimeter handgun,” while also nearly indestructible and nearly impossible to scratch or dent.
To sum up, thanks to the steel body and the Tesla armored glass, the Cybertruck is made to withstand whatever you throw at it.
And that’s precisely what the video at the bottom of the page seems to indicate, as well. Bob says that, indeed, this type of steel is bullet-resistant “to 9mm, but of course the rifle round went through,” so Musk did speak the truth on this count.
Bob also subjected the sheet of metal to a series of tests he dubs the “angry ex test,” keying, knifing and ultimately taking a hammer and a pickax to it. It’s good news on this front, as well: angrily keying it barely leaves a scratch, but a sharp knife can do considerable aesthetic damage. A hammer is able to create surface abrasions but no dents, no matter how hard you hit. The pickax is a different story, as it creates both abrasions and dents – and this type of steel is hard to manipulate, which means dents can’t easily buff out.
The conclusion of this unofficial, incomplete and very unscientifically-conducted study is that the Cybertruck is worth the long wait. And if its supposed indestructibility is not enough to make you a believer, there’s always the promise that it’s as powerful as a train, fast as a sports car and reliable like a regular truck.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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