Tesla Vs. Ford: Watch This Cybertruck's Embarrassing Rescue Caught On Video
The owner of a Tesla Cybertruck recently ran into some trouble on the Corral Hollow OHV Trail in Bear Valley, California, when it slid off the trail and had to be towed out by good samaritans. The Cybertruck was just released, and new drivers may have been eager to test its off-road capabilities. Among the numerous stats and features boasted by Tesla, it purportedly has an all-wheel-drive system with locking differentials, rear torque vectoring, four-wheel steering, and an 11,000-pound towing capacity. Add to that the fact that it weighs as much as a Ford F-250 Super Duty or a Dodge Ram 2500, and you'd think that it shouldn't have much trouble getting traction on a minor slope. This particular Cybertruck had the letters 'RC' printed on the side; however, identifying it as a pre-production release candidate model might not have had all the bugs ironed out just yet. It also appears to have been equipped with all-season tires, which are not ideal for driving in the snow.
Even so, much of the marketing around the EV pushed the car as an all-terrain vehicle that could go virtually anywhere. The Cybertruck home page on the Tesla website states that it is "Built for any planet. Durable and rugged enough to go anywhere. Tackle anything with electronically adaptive air suspension that offers 12 inches of travel and 17 inches of clearance." That's certainly a bold claim, which is why it's so embarrassing that this particular vehicle couldn't seem to get itself back on the trail without help from an ordinary Ford pickup truck.
Cybertruck can't get a grip
The event in question was captured on video, and then two clips were posted to Instagram by Matt Chambers, a friend of one of the people who stopped to help the Tesla driver. The first shows the Cybertruck struggling to get traction while being towed up a mildly snowy hill by the older Ford. The two cars were connected using a tow strap, and the Cybertruck's wheels can clearly be seen spinning helplessly on the 1–2 inches of snow.
The second clip shows the moment they finally managed to get it on the dirt road. "No clue how he was so far off [the] trail," Chambers stated. He then shared his friend's speculations on what might have caused the issue and reported several other problems they encountered. "Info I received with the videos: RC version with Traction control issues due to software problems, not aired down, no pickup points, no recovery points!" It seems this pre-production model lacked the capabilities and hooks found in production models.
This is particularly disappointing given the fact that the Cybertruck turned out to be way more expensive than Elon Musk first promised. The Cybertruck may have managed to survive some pretty impressive damage tests, but all that durability won't do much good if its drivers aren't able to keep it on the road. Hopefully, the production models currently being shipped won't encounter any similar issues.