Can Cybertruck Hold Up Against Steel Balls?: Elon Musk Reacts As Tesla Owner Tests 'Beast' Strength

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday responded to a Cybertruck owner’s attempts at demonstrating the vehicle’s indestructibility by flinging 1.5-inch thick steel balls at it.

What Happened: “Cybertruck is tough,” Musk said to an owner who flung steel balls as small as 1/8th of an inch to balls 1.5 inches thick at the Cybertruck window. However, all the balls bounced off the window, leaving no broken glass or evident scratches.

Benzinga could not confirm the name of the owner.

The Cybertruck’s exterior is made of stainless steel and the windows of armored glass. While the steel body can protect against bullets, the glass can resist the impact of a baseball at 70 mph or class 4 hail, Tesla says on its website.

Why It Matters: Tesla has demonstrated these abilities in the past. At the Cybertruck delivery event in late November, Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen demonstrated the strength of the windows by flinging a baseball at it. The moment was reminiscent of Cybertruck’s unveiling in November 2019 when Holzhausen threw a metal ball at the window to demonstrate its strength. The demonstration from five years ago failed with the window shattering but sent demand soaring as it became a viral sensation.

Tesla also showcased a video at the delivery event of the Cybertruck being fired at with a 0.45 Caliber Tommy gun, a 9mm Glock, and a 9mm MP5-SD. Though the bullets dent the steel, none of them seemed to penetrate the cabin in the video.

Earlier this week, Tesla shared videos of the vehicle traversing the challenging Hell's Revenge trail in Moab, Utah. The vehicle seemed to navigate the trail’s steep and rocky sections with apparent ease, thanks to its electronically adaptive air suspension and ground clearance of up to 16 inches.

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Image Source – Tesla

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