Tesla Cybertruck's Shatterproof Glass Undergoes the Most Thorough Test Ever Attempted

Advertise a product as being the best at something, and you can be sure that everyone will try to prove if it holds up to the hype. In the case of the Cybertruck, deemed the toughest truck in the world, the string of abuses seems never-ending. Tesla's pickup truck has been jumped on, kicked, burned, hit with various objects, and shot (multiple times). This has become almost boring to watch, so Wes Morrill, Cybertruck Lead Engineer, begged owners to let the truck "roam freely on and off-road in peace."

I'm not sure whether people will stop trying to prove what was already proven repeatedly. Still, it will probably motivate them to try new approaches and improve on previous attempts. People will argue that Tesla started this when Franz von Holzhausen hit the Cybertruck windows with a steel ball in 2019. Tesla's chief designer did it again on November 30, 2023, but he used a baseball ball this time. Far from prompting people to go gently on the Cybertruck, it only made them more determined to find out why Franz switched balls.

In an earlier test, YouTuber Taras Maksimuk, who maintains the TechRax channel, repeated the steel ball test. The Ukrainian, who became famous for boiling, hammering, and blending things, failed to break the side window. Some argued that perhaps the steel ball was too small or not heavy enough to break the glass. This is probably why Ryan Levenson from The Kilowatts decided to repeat the test in the most scientific way possible.

Ryan, who recently got his first Cybertruck, began the test with lightweight objects like ping pong and golf balls. The challenge escalated, with baseball and cue balls thrown at the Cybertruck's side window. Granted, the cue ball left a small mark on the metal but didn't break the glass. After that, Ryan continued with steel balls, increasing the size from one inch (25 mm) to two and three inches. The 3-inch (76 mm) ball weighed about 5 pounds (2.3 kg), enough to leave marks but not to break the glass. At least not immediately.

Multiple throws by Ryan and a triathlete guest finally cracked the glass, although it did not shatter completely. This proved just how tough the laminated glass on the Cybertruck is. If you're curious, watch the video attached below, which shows the attempts in slow motion. This shows how much the glass flexes under pressure before finally breaking. Thankfully, the test was recorded after Ryan ensured the local Service Center had a replacement window in stock.