Photo: @mchambers_22 via Instagram
Those who followed the Cybertruck for the past year know that Tesla's electric pickup is not that good for off-road adventures. A video shared on Instagram shows a release-candidate Tesla Cybertruck rescued by a Ford F-350 recovery truck after it slid off-trail. This could happen to anyone, but in the case of the Cybertruck, there is more to it than bad off-road skills.
Tesla started Cybertruck deliveries with an underwhelming delivery event on November 30, but it seems to have stepped up its game recently as customer deliveries began. During development, we've been following closely with the Cybertruck adventures, sometimes cheering for a breakthrough discovery, sometimes pointing to a design flaw. When it comes to its off-road capabilities, though, let's just say the Cybertruck did not impress.
Probably the first time the Cybertruck was shown in a bad light was during the breakthrough ceremony of Tesla's lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although the Cybertruck impressed with its "cyber-shovels" and the custom-made rack, it became famous when it remained stuck in the mud in a corn field nearby. Much has been said back then about the driver's skills and even more about the Cybertruck's tires.
I know that any vehicle, no matter how off-road capable it is, can get in trouble when the driver doesn't know his game and the tires are just inadequate for the terrain. However, the Cybertruck made a habit of looking bad while going off-road. More recently, during a last-minute test session, the Cybertruck climbed the Hollister Hills stair steps. Although it got to the top, it also appeared to struggle mid-course, either because the driver was inexperienced or because the Cybertruck was not properly configured.
Again, this turned into a discussion about tires and drivers, with Tesla fans absolving their beloved Cybertruck of all guilt. It might be so, but when it happens so many times, you might think it's a good idea to stick to the paved roads, even when your truck has a 17-inch road clearance. This was again obvious in a video shared on Instagram showing a rescue operation involving a Cybertruck.
This was not a production model but a release-candidate prototype, which means what happened to it might not be relevant to the production model. According to Matt Chambers, the person who shared the video, the Cybertruck slid off-trail at Corral Hallow OHV. With its all-season tires and non-functional lockers (reportedly due to a software issue), the truck had zero possibility of climbing back on its own.
Thankfully, other off-roaders were in the area, helping the Cybertruck driver get out of that bad situation. Unfortunately for Tesla and the driver, they also shared everything on Instagram. What's intriguing, beyond the Christmas tree in the truck's bed, is that the video poster says the truck had no recovery points, and they had to hook the towing cable to the suspension. This is indeed weird, which made me revisit the Cybertruck pictures I gathered over the past months.
It turns out that some Cybertruck prototypes (and the production vehicles sent to Tesla showrooms across the country) have two pickup points in front. However, there were some release-candidate Cybertrucks without the recovery points (see one in the gallery). This means they are either removable (and not installed in this case) or not available on all prototypes. Either way, this caused headaches for the rescue team, but they made it in the end.
Probably the first time the Cybertruck was shown in a bad light was during the breakthrough ceremony of Tesla's lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although the Cybertruck impressed with its "cyber-shovels" and the custom-made rack, it became famous when it remained stuck in the mud in a corn field nearby. Much has been said back then about the driver's skills and even more about the Cybertruck's tires.
I know that any vehicle, no matter how off-road capable it is, can get in trouble when the driver doesn't know his game and the tires are just inadequate for the terrain. However, the Cybertruck made a habit of looking bad while going off-road. More recently, during a last-minute test session, the Cybertruck climbed the Hollister Hills stair steps. Although it got to the top, it also appeared to struggle mid-course, either because the driver was inexperienced or because the Cybertruck was not properly configured.
Again, this turned into a discussion about tires and drivers, with Tesla fans absolving their beloved Cybertruck of all guilt. It might be so, but when it happens so many times, you might think it's a good idea to stick to the paved roads, even when your truck has a 17-inch road clearance. This was again obvious in a video shared on Instagram showing a rescue operation involving a Cybertruck.
This was not a production model but a release-candidate prototype, which means what happened to it might not be relevant to the production model. According to Matt Chambers, the person who shared the video, the Cybertruck slid off-trail at Corral Hallow OHV. With its all-season tires and non-functional lockers (reportedly due to a software issue), the truck had zero possibility of climbing back on its own.
Thankfully, other off-roaders were in the area, helping the Cybertruck driver get out of that bad situation. Unfortunately for Tesla and the driver, they also shared everything on Instagram. What's intriguing, beyond the Christmas tree in the truck's bed, is that the video poster says the truck had no recovery points, and they had to hook the towing cable to the suspension. This is indeed weird, which made me revisit the Cybertruck pictures I gathered over the past months.
It turns out that some Cybertruck prototypes (and the production vehicles sent to Tesla showrooms across the country) have two pickup points in front. However, there were some release-candidate Cybertrucks without the recovery points (see one in the gallery). This means they are either removable (and not installed in this case) or not available on all prototypes. Either way, this caused headaches for the rescue team, but they made it in the end.
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