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The Tesla Cybertruck Has Its Glass Put to the Shatterproof Test Again
February 6, 2024
The Tesla Cybertruck has been a hot topic ever since its unveiling back in November 2019, and not just for its unique angular design. Its memorable launch was marked by an unexpected event involving the truck’s supposedly unbreakable window glass shattering during a live demonstration.
The unveiling event intending to showcase the strength of the Cybertruck’s glass turned into an international press sensation when the window broke after it was struck by a steel ball. This was a significant hiccup since Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, had previously claimed the glass to be virtually indestructible. Ironically, the person who chucked the steel ball was none other than Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer who designed the Cybertruck.
Later, Musk publicly explained why the glass broke under the impact of the steel ball, suggesting the ball was perhaps too heavy for the test. Nevertheless, this event has since become an inside joke among the Tesla community, with the company even including an “Easter egg” in the truck’s screen interface that resembles the shattered window from the unveiling.
Fast forward to the present, and Tesla’s Cybertruck is now out in the wild, with customers putting it through a variety of real-world tests. The YouTube channel TechRax recently decided to revisit the infamous glass durability test using a steel ball, albeit a smaller and lighter one than the original.
Meanwhile, Tesla appears to have learned from its past mishap. During the Cybertruck Delivery Event in late November 2023, they opted for a softer baseball for their window durability test. The baseball didn’t manage to leave a scratch on the Cybertruck, which might be more attributed to the properties of the ball rather than the truck’s glass.
However, when TechRax’s crew tested the window with a steel ball, a completely different result emerged: the window didn’t break — even after three hits.
Tesla has continuously been researching and developing its window glass technology in its in-house labs, spread across its global factories. This ongoing development is evident from the successful steel ball impact test.
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