A video of a Tesla Cybertruck hauling a Christmas tree struggling to get back onto the road after allegedly sliding off-trail into shallow, dirty snow went viral today, with people mocking the car for being unable to pull itself out of the terrain.
The video was originally posted on Instagram by Matt Chambers.
“Cyber Truck getting recovered after sliding off trail at Corral Hollow. No clue how he was so far off trail,” they wrote. “RC version with Traction control issues due to software problems, not aired down, no pickup points, no recovery points!”
“nothing like freezing to death in a $100k bulletproof coffin for the holidays” joked @finance_toolbox on X.
An RC Cybertruck, or “Release Candidate,” was a version of the truck given to test drivers before the automobile had its first commercial release at the end of November.
The Cybertruck in the video had been offroading on the Corral Hollow trail, an off-roading area in Bear Valley, California, about a hundred miles east of Sacramento.
According to a follow-up post by Matt Chambers in the Facebook group JEEP GLADIATOR’S Only, the truck had software issues that caused problems with traction control, had the wrong tires for the terrain, and didn’t have those tires “aired-down” correctly.
When cars go off-road, tires can be deflated a little, or aired down, to help the car gain traction. For snow, it’s recommended to get the tire pressure to between 12-15 pounds per square inch for optimal control.
Because the Cybertruck was an RC prototype model, it didn’t have any “pickup points” to hook on to drag itself out of the snow, so it had to be dragged out by its suspension, which can be dangerous for a car if it can’t handle the strain.
Chambers said he wasn’t posting the video for “brand bashing,” but that inevitably ensued, as people were convinced it was Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s fault.
“keep those things on pavement n near a charger,” wrote one user.
“I never seen a truck strugle so hard on something that’s not really that bad,” posted @toddmonroe6 on X.
But others pointed out that the problem came more from the truck not being fitted with proper tires and being poorly driven.
“A bad driver can get anything into a bad spot,” wrote one user.
“You get the best truck with street tires out there and I bet you… it will be stuck too lol,” wrote another.
Tesla’s Cybertruck has been marketed as being “durable and rugged enough to go anywhere,” with ads showing the vehicle driving through water, over hills, and in dusty off-road settings.
At a presentation at the end of November, Musk claimed that the Cybertruck is “better than any other truck,” reported Ars Technica, but also more of a sports car than other sports car.
“Looks like someone who doesn’t know how to drive, not the trucks fault,” wrote @Combobulate.
