Photo: u/xanderhud via Reddit
Tesla has always promoted the Cybertruck as a tough vehicle capable of withstanding the harshest conditions and abuses. Its windows are made of armored glass, able to resist direct hits and class-4 hail. However, a hailstorm in Austin cracked a Cybertruck's windshield, leaving the owner disappointed.
Everyone remembers Tesla's steel ball stunt during the original unveiling of the Cybertruck in 2019. The supposedly shatter-proof windows should've withstood a direct hit with a steel ball. However, it immediately cracked when Tesla's chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, threw the ball at one of the side windows. This will forever remain in the collective memory as one of the most embarrassing moments of the Cybertruck troubled saga.
During the Cybertruck Delivery Day last November, Elon Musk toned down the shatter-proof claims and said that the windows should withstand the impact of a baseball at 70 mph (112 kph) or class 4 hail. Class 4 is the highest level of hail protection, withstanding the impact from a 2-inch (51 mm) hail ball dropped from 20 feet. This is still respectable, as some curious Cybertruck owners discovered during various experiments. One of the most thorough tests revealed that a Cybertruck window could resist even a 3-inch (76 mm) steel ball, although repeated hits finally cracked it.
In another real-life experiment, a thief could not break the Cybertruck's side windows even when using special glass tools. Despite the burglar's best efforts, the armored glass did not break, although several windows and the glass roof cracked. Even though the break-in attempt was unsuccessful, it still left the owner with a huge repair bill. However, as another Cybertruck owner discovered, breaking the glass doesn't always require a malefic actor.
The owner, who (based on his Reddit nickname) might be named Xander Hud, parked his Cybertruck at a supermarket in Austin when a sudden hailstorm hit. The pictures shared online show chunks of ice as big as two inches scattered on the ground. While the stainless steel body was fine after being hit by hail, the windshield cracked. To the owner's disappointment, none of the other vehicles parked next to the Cybertruck had windshield damage. Instead, they had lots of dings on their body.
I don't know what is worse: repairing the dings on a car body or replacing a windshield. I would prefer the latter, to be honest, because body repairs are never as good as a new car. However, the Cybertruck owner would've chosen not to pay for either.
It's unclear what caused the windshield to crack, though. It could've been because it sits almost horizontally on the Cybertruck, taking the brunt of the impact of hail. Or it may have happened because of unknown tensions in the Cybertruck's body that caused it to crack when hit by hail.
Xander revealed that the repair estimate in the Tesla app was $2,327. That's a rather steep price to pay for a hailstorm. Hopefully, the insurance covers the damage, or Tesla will repair it under warranty. After all, shatter-resistant to class 4 hail should mean something.
During the Cybertruck Delivery Day last November, Elon Musk toned down the shatter-proof claims and said that the windows should withstand the impact of a baseball at 70 mph (112 kph) or class 4 hail. Class 4 is the highest level of hail protection, withstanding the impact from a 2-inch (51 mm) hail ball dropped from 20 feet. This is still respectable, as some curious Cybertruck owners discovered during various experiments. One of the most thorough tests revealed that a Cybertruck window could resist even a 3-inch (76 mm) steel ball, although repeated hits finally cracked it.
In another real-life experiment, a thief could not break the Cybertruck's side windows even when using special glass tools. Despite the burglar's best efforts, the armored glass did not break, although several windows and the glass roof cracked. Even though the break-in attempt was unsuccessful, it still left the owner with a huge repair bill. However, as another Cybertruck owner discovered, breaking the glass doesn't always require a malefic actor.
The owner, who (based on his Reddit nickname) might be named Xander Hud, parked his Cybertruck at a supermarket in Austin when a sudden hailstorm hit. The pictures shared online show chunks of ice as big as two inches scattered on the ground. While the stainless steel body was fine after being hit by hail, the windshield cracked. To the owner's disappointment, none of the other vehicles parked next to the Cybertruck had windshield damage. Instead, they had lots of dings on their body.
I don't know what is worse: repairing the dings on a car body or replacing a windshield. I would prefer the latter, to be honest, because body repairs are never as good as a new car. However, the Cybertruck owner would've chosen not to pay for either.
It's unclear what caused the windshield to crack, though. It could've been because it sits almost horizontally on the Cybertruck, taking the brunt of the impact of hail. Or it may have happened because of unknown tensions in the Cybertruck's body that caused it to crack when hit by hail.
Xander revealed that the repair estimate in the Tesla app was $2,327. That's a rather steep price to pay for a hailstorm. Hopefully, the insurance covers the damage, or Tesla will repair it under warranty. After all, shatter-resistant to class 4 hail should mean something.
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