Without more interest in the wacky EV, the Cybertruck will probably never be crash-tested by the NHTSA or the IIHS.
The Tesla Cybertruck will not be crash-tested by the NHTSA in 2024, and it may never be tested by the IIHS, either. The list of vehicles that the NHTSA says will be included in 5-star safety tests for the 2024 model year does not feature the wedgy electric pickup, and that’s partly because the Cybertruck delivery event took place a week after the NHTSA’s list came out.
But why might the controversial truck skirt crash tests altogether? As it turns out, the Cybertruck’s potential unpopularity could be the cause. If not enough people are driving Cybertrucks, the NHTSA and the IIHS may not feel the need to evaluate their crashworthiness.
Of course, there’s more to it, so let’s discuss the other reasons briefly.
The NHTSA says that its list represents “approximately 86% of the new vehicle fleet” and includes cars like the Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler – it would not make sense to test every single car on the market, especially when many are built on identical platforms and equipped with identical safety features.
Fair enough, but how do we know that the uniquely constructed Cybertruck is safe? Well, Tesla performed its own crash testing, and it was in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. That’s enough to get it on the road legally and enough for the NHTSA to publish preliminary safety ratings.
The NHTSA has confirmed to Teslarati that there will be no official ratings until the agency tests the truck directly, but when that may be remains to be seen. According to the IIHS, official tests may never even happen; its media relations director, Joe Young, said that the agency will decide on whether to evaluate the Cybertruck’s crashworthiness after it has assessed “the level of general consumer interest in the vehicle.”
Tesla If there are tens of thousands of Cybertrucks on the road, it will make more sense to crash-test it than if only a handful of wealthy collectors have acquired one as a status symbol. Other factors affect the “level of general consumer interest” that Young mentions, so it may not all be down to market success.
Regardless, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is “highly confident” that the Cybertruck will be “safer per mile than other trucks, both for occupants and pedestrians.” If there is just a sprinkling of Cybertrucks populating the roads and driving just a few miles a month, then statistically, it will be safer – even if every example were to crash multiple times.
Still, we can’t shake the feeling that the sharp nose and solid corners characterizing the Cybertruck’s design are a gruesome pedestrian accident waiting to happen. As long as it meets FMVSS requirements, though, crash testing agencies are looking the other way.
Yes, we are highly confident that Cybertruck will be much safer per mile than other trucks, both for occupants and pedestrians https://t.co/RydoYYn4FU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 5, 2023
