Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images
- Tesla's newly-released Cybertruck weighs 3.5 tons and has the acceleration of a Formula 1 car.
- Experts, however, are sounding the alarm over their concerns about the vehicle's safety.
- One expert referred to it as a "death machine."
Tesla's Cybertruck is a modern marvel of sorts.
In its most souped-up state, the nearly 7,000-pound truck can go from 0 miles per hour to 60 in 2.6 seconds and sports an odd, angular design that's more Lara Croft than Lamborghini.
And while Silicon Valley executives and venture capitalists have lauded the innovative vehicle over the years, now that the first batch of Cybertrucks is on the road, experts are beginning to sound the alarm about its overall safety.
In March, Business Insider spoke with Myles Russell, a Canadian civil engineering technologist who warned about the dangers of trucks — particularly American-produced ones — that have become increasingly taller and more massive in recent decades.
"Something like the Cybertruck and the F-150 electric, these things are different," Russell, who owns a Tesla Model 3, said. "Now you're packing in Ferrari and McLaren-level powers, and even arguably Tesla high-energy vehicles, into the size of a truck."
Earlier in the year, Russell calculated and compiled data showing the sightlines and kinetic energies of various trucks and vehicles at various, everyday speeds. After Tesla officially released the Cybertruck's official specs, he added them to his spreadsheets and was startled at what he found.
"It's got the viewing of an Escalade, the kinetic energy of an F250, and the acceleration of a MacLaren," he posted to X. "Death machine."
The Cybertruck's design is inherently dangerous
Michael Brooks, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, doesn't hide his disdain for the Cybertruck.
Earlier in 2023, he warned Business Insider that in collisions, pedestrian "injuries are much more traumatic in the case of larger, heavier vehicles."
Given the Cybertruck's massive 3.5-ton weight and Formula 1-level acceleration, his frustration is unsurprising.
And while that's certainly a concern, Brooks said he's increasingly concerned about Tesla's decision to cover the frame in cold-rolled stainless steel.
"The stiffness of putting stainless steel construction on top of a stiff battery in a vehicle," Brooks said, "essentially it seems like it's just going to turn these vehicles into a missile."
Both Brooks and Russell pointed out that videos from Cybertruck crash tests also appear to show the car having a dangerously small "crumple zone," or area designed to crunch in on itself to absorb energy from the collision.
Russell said the decision to design the front of the truck with sharp-angled stainless steel sheets doesn't bode well for anyone involved in an accident with one.
"That is not a recipe for a safe collision," he said.
Brooks ultimately predicted the vehicle's design would, in the event of an accident, ultimately lead to "increased injuries" to pedestrians, other vehicles on the road, the driver of the Cybertruck, and their passengers.
Additionally, the Cybertruck comes preloaded with Tesla's "Autopilot," which lets some drivers use hands-free for extended periods and has been blamed in more than 270 crashes when used inappropriately.
Remembering the truck included the self-driving feature during his interview with Business Insider, Brooks repeated his metaphor, this time referring to it as a "guideless missle."
"It's designed and built almost like a weapon," he added. "Sharp edges, very fast, and marketed to what seems to be the 'Mad Max' militant side of our society."
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.