On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck pulled up in front of Trump Towers in Las Vegas and seconds later was engulfed in flames. The incident, which authorities are investigating as a possible act of terrorism, killed the driver. There were only minor injuries to bystanders and even the building was largely unscathed.
The explosion had nothing to do with the electric battery or being an electric vehicle, but was the result of the gas cans, camp fuel canisters, and firework mortars that were set off in the bed. Watch the video circulating online and it’s a strange combination of fire and exploding fireworks that consume the Cybertruck.
This whole incident is still under investigation and there’s a lot we don’t know, but the fact that the damage was largely confined to the truck has become a hot topic of conversation. The explosion looks dramatic, but despite appearances, the glass front of Trump Towers is in one piece. Did the structure of the Cybertruck reduce the impact of the explosion and maybe even save lives?
The Cybertruck was never marketed as just a truck. It was more than a truck in every way from windows that CEO Elon Musk claimed could withstand a 9mm round to its stainless steel exterior designed to reduce corrosion, dents, and dings. And let’s not forget its polarizing looks.
Images from the aftermath show the burned-out shell of the truck including a bed littered with debris. Those images also show a truck bed that is still in one piece. The expectation by most was that it’d be completely misshapen or unrecognizable. It’s a curious thing and the assumption many are making is that this is a testament to the strength of the Cybertruck’s design.
Rather than guessing, we decided it might be a good idea to ask an expert, and what better choice than Wheel Bearings’ own Sam Abuelsamid. He’s not just a voice on the internet. Sam is also VP of Market Research for Telemetry Insights and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
“It is possible that the structure of the truck would retain some of that blast force,” he said. Since this incident only just happened, the authorities are still piecing together the facts. It’s going to take time to collect all the data to see just how much, if at all, the truck truly made a difference.
A lot comes down to that stainless steel exterior. “We know the stainless steel skin is resistant to a lot of force,” said Abuelsamid. This might have been a good thing in the explosion, but not so much for the truck’s overall safety. “When you look at vehicle safety, energy needs to be dissipated. It’s why part of the structure of a vehicle collapses. It dissipates kinetic energy.” This isn’t the case for the Cybertruck.
“The Cybertruck is not designed to collapse that way,” he said. It’s something that might show up in crash testing, but neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially tested the Cybertruck.
There’s also the matter of how the materials in the bed were stacked and even how they were detonated. Everything didn’t ignite at exactly the same time, which likely reduced the impact of the explosions. The placement of the mortars also matters. “They’re designed to go up, not out, so a vertical stack could restrict them.” That’s the kind of detail that we don’t yet know.
The Cybertruck is a unique vehicle and there’s a possibility that it’s design did contribute to containing the effects of the explosion, but at this point, it’s all hypothetical. “There’s no easy answer without a lot more detail,” said Abuelsamid. Give the authorities time to do their investigation, and then it’ll be easier to see if the Cybertruck was an unsung hero.