This Is Why You Don’t Actually Shoot One

• In a video that’s gone viral on social media, a purported Tesla Cybertruck owner is seen firing a pistol at the supposedly “bulletproof” vehicle.
• It didn’t work out the way he wanted.
• Sadness and regret ensured. 

Here’s the thing about the claims around the Tesla Cybertruck’s stainless steel body panels being supposedly bulletproof: I don’t think that’s something you want to intentionally try to verify with a vehicle that costs around $100,000. You may just be better off taking Elon Musk’s word for it instead and saving the rounds for the shooting range, or at the very least, for the rusted-out husk of some old clunker in a junkyard. Like a civilized person. 

That’s the hard lesson learned by one Cybertruck owner—reportedly an adult film star named Dante Colle—who unloaded a round into the tailgate of his truck and filmed it for an unintentionally viral video. But instead of deflecting the bullet, he’s left with a giant hole in the tailgate. And maybe elsewhere, depending on where the bullet went. The unfortunate affair has been making the rounds this week. 

It’s unclear from this video what type of weapon he shot the truck with. He’s also not the first person who has tried to shoot at their own Cybertruck, a stunt that often yields what might charitably be called mixed results. 

This keeps happening because way back in 2019 when the Cybertruck was first unveiled, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed it would be at least somewhat bulletproof—at least, to 9mm rounds fired into the doors. Prototypes were seen peppered with bullets from a Tommy Gun, which may look cool but is hardly up to par with more modern weapons. And last year, Tesla released videos ahead of the Cybertruck’s actual debut showing it standing up to 9mm handgun and submachine gun rounds as well. Since then it’s been generally accepted—but again, not something you want to discover in real life—that the Cybertruck’s doors are at least somewhat capable of standing up to small-arms fire. 

Other YouTubers and influencers have sought to test its limits since then. One video host hit the truck with a .50 caliber sniper rifle round, which, understandably, ripped right through the doors.

The tailgate seems to be another matter, and if this host hit it with a more powerful handgun, it didn’t have a chance. And as Motor Trend noted last year, stainless steel is generally not used for ballistic purposes nor certified as such. 

So while this is still a clever marketing gimmick, remember: you don’t need to pump your vehicle full of lead to “find out” for yourself. Can we please stop shooting the Cybertrucks now, everyone? 

Hat tip to Futurism

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com