The angular, hard-edged design of the Cybertruck gives Tesla’s newest model a menacing vibe.
Now safety experts are raising alarms that the bullet-proof, stainless steel Cybertruck poses a threat to pedestrians and occupants of other vehicles in collisions, Reuters colleagues Hyunjoo Jin and Akash Sriram report.
U.S. safety regulators and the insurance-industry backed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have yet to crash test the Cybertruck. But based on videos of crash tests and other information released by Tesla and people who have had access to the Cybertruck, a half-dozen vehicle safety experts said they are concerned that the stiff, stainless steel skin and heavy frame of the vehicle pose an outsized risk.
The Cybertruck is the most attention-grabbing example of a broader trend toward heavy, tall trucks in the U.S. auto industry that has raised alarms from safety advocates.
Elon Musk said in a social media post that he is “highly confident” the Cybertruck will be safer than other trucks for occupants and pedestrians. U.S. automakers can self-certify that their vehicles meet safety standards. Federal crash tests usually aren’t completed until after vehicles go on sale.
A senior Tesla executive told Britain’s Top Gear that Europe’s strict pedestrian protection rules will make it hard to sell the Cybertruck there.
