The Tesla Cybertruck’s polarising design had raised questions on how it might carry out in a crash. Now, some – however not all – of these questions have been answered.
Whereas Tesla included a video of the Cybertruck crashing right into a wall when the long-awaited mannequin launched in November 2023, it hasn’t been examined by an impartial physique – till now.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) this week awarded the Cybertruck a five-star security ranking based mostly on exams it undertook final yr, nevertheless the end result doesn’t instantly translate to what we see in Australia.
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The NHTSA is a US Authorities company which acts as the height physique for street security, however – just like the Australasian New Automotive Evaluation Program (ANCAP) – its security rankings don’t stop or permit a automobile to be bought, relatively inform clients forward of their buy.
It doesn’t assess pedestrian security, not like ANCAP, although the NHTSA did topic the Cybertruck to a battery of bodily crash exams.
Within the case of the Cybertruck, it was awarded 5 stars within the NHTSA’s full-width frontal impression crash take a look at, with 5 stars for the driving force however solely 4 for the front-row passenger.
The NHTSA conducts this take a look at at 56km/h, whereas ANCAP does so at 50km/h.
In accordance with the NHTSA, the Cybertruck additionally achieved five-star rankings throughout its aspect and pole impression exams, relevant to entrance and rear seat occupants.
Within the aspect barrier take a look at a 1368kg barrier hits the driving force’s aspect of the automobile at 62km/h whereas angled at 27 levels. ANCAP performs this take a look at with a 1400kg barrier at 60km/h, nevertheless the automobile is hit side-on instantly, not at an angle.
An indirect pole take a look at performed by the NHTSA sees the automobile collide at 32km/h into a set, inflexible pole aligned to the driving force’s seating place at an angle of 75 levels. In contrast to the NHTSA, ANCAP repeats these aspect impression exams to find out the ‘far-side impression’ of those collisions.
The NHTSA conducts rollover testing, a predictive methodology which it says “measures the chance of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control situation”. The Cybertruck acquired a four-star ranking for rollover resistance, with a rollover danger of 12.4 per cent.
The US security physique doesn’t, nevertheless, have any exams that mirror these of ANCAP’s Weak Highway Consumer Safety evaluation.
These exams are performed at 40km/h, with the purpose of assessing how well-protected pedestrians are within the occasion of an impression.
Likewise, ANCAP not solely evaluates the efficiency of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) methods in relation to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, however lane help methods (resembling lane-departure warning and lane-keep help), and different methods resembling driver fatigue monitoring and pace help.
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ANCAP’s AEB exams -
These exams are performed at speeds starting from 10km/h to 50km/h.
Although NHTSA doesn’t undertake these exams, the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) exams AEB efficiency in relation to different vehicles and pedestrians solely at between 20km/h and 40km/h.
The IIHS conducts different security exams in opposition to completely different standards to NHTSA, albeit nonetheless with none pedestrian security testing. Its outcomes are additionally publicly out there regardless that the information is used to tell insurance coverage premiums.
The physique has but to evaluate the Cybertruck.
Sadly it’s seemingly we’ll by no means see the Cybertruck – because it’s presently designed not less than – examined by ANCAP or its sister organisation Euro ANCAP, as the electrical pickup isn’t bought right here or in Europe.