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In an unfortunate turn of events, a brand new Tesla Cybertruck was recently involved in a severe car crash with a Nissan Sentra.
Details about the crash remain scarce; however, the picture shared online shows that the Cybertruck was involved in a side collision with the sedan in the middle of the street.
Check your inbox if you are a Tesla investor with over $86,000 in Tesla shares. Tesla has sent a communication asking for further documentation proving your shareholder status. The program allows you to skip the line and take early delivery of your Cybertruck. @Tesla @elonmusk… pic.twitter.com/SHQKVuX7rm
— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) March 26, 2024
As of this writing, it’s not completely clear which vehicle is at fault; however, the crash shows that the Cybertruck was T-boned by the Nissan Sentra in the middle of a cross-section.
Given that the car crash involved a family sedan and a full-sized truck, it’s unsurprising that the Nissan suffered more damage than the Tesla Cybertruck.
Having said that, the Cybertruck’s 30X cold-rolled ultra-durable stainless steel appears to have given the electric truck an even better advantage when it came to the crash.
As you can see in the picture, the front end of the Nissan Sentra is completely destroyed, with the engine and other rigid vehicle parts pushed into the passenger compartment.
This is particularly scary as engine parts will not easily dent and will likely pass the impact energy to the passengers.
In this particular instance, we do not have the details of the severity of the injury sustained by the occupants of the Nissan Sentra; however, we can see the sedan is completely destroyed, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.
On the other hand, the Cybertruck appears barely dented. The passenger-side front and rear seats have sustained minor damage, and the wheels need some work.
However, besides those minor issues, during this high-energy side impact, the windows were not shattered, the doors were still in place, and the Cybertruck even appeared to have taken a chunk off the Nissan Sentra and kept it to itself between the front and rear doors.
Cybertruck got T-boned by a Nissan Sentra, but you can hardly tell.
It’s a tank. Not even the glass shattered pic.twitter.com/4vH50xgf3k
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) March 26, 2024
Overall, looking at the image, it’s easy to see the Cybertruck is in much better shape than the Nissan Sentra.
How does a Cybertruck Perform in a car crash?
As I have already mentioned, the Cybertruck, being a full-size truck, obviously has the upper hand when it comes to a collision with a sedan.
The Cybertruck is bigger, heavier, and higher off the ground, giving the all-electric truck the same advantages as other pickup trucks in a car crash.
However, in addition to the inherent advantages of pickup trucks, the Cybertruck is also constructed with a high-strength 30X cold-rolled stainless steel exoskeleton.
Tesla has demonstrated the durability of the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton by shooting bullets at it, shooting a hunting bow and arrow from close range at the doors, and hitting the stainless steel with a hummer.
Many people have criticized these demonstrations, calling them unrealistic and showy. Some have even gone so far as to claim the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton is a gimmick.
For obvious reasons, Tesla has chosen to show a Cybertruck stopping a bullet rather than demonstrating the truck’s abilities in a car crash to grab headlines.
Tesla wireless charging. You want it? Here is the context. https://t.co/VF0nom8kW1
— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) March 22, 2024
However, whether you agree with Tesla’s marketing strategy or not, driving a Cybertruck during a car crash might be the difference between sustaining minor cuts and bruises and ending up in the hospital or worse.
How strong is the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton?
It’s difficult to gauge exactly how strong the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton is compared to other vehicles; however, Tesla has given us some comparisons that show the importance of a stainless steel exoskeleton in providing rigidity to a truck.
Tesla says that thanks to the 30X colled rolled Cybertruck's stainless steel exoskeleton, the truck is more rigid than a purpose-built sports car. According to Tesla’s charts, the Cybertruck has more torsional rigidity than the acclaimed McLaren P1.
This allows the Cybertruck to perform much better in corners than other pickup trucks. Due to other factors, including the center of gravity and mass, the Cybertruck will not be as good at a corner as a McLaren P1; however, the Cybertruck’s rigidity is night and day compared to other trucks.
Are electric vehicles safer than gas cars in a car crash?
Another advantage of the Cybertruck over the Nissan Sentra is that the Cybertruck is an electric vehicle, whereas the Nissan is an internal combustion vehicle.
Electric vehicles have the heaviest part of the car—the batteries—at the bottom. This gives them two distinct advantages.
The first is in a rollover situation. Since the Cybertruck has the heaviest part of the truck at the bottom, the all-electric truck is less likely to roll over than other top-heavy vehicles.
Second, and more applicable to the crash with the Nissan Sentra, the Cybertruck battery pack situated at the bottom increases the truck's rigidity.
This is especially useful in side crashes where there isn’t a lot of space to add a crumple zone. The Cybertruck’s battery pack acts as is a barrier to another vehicle breaching the passenger compartment.
All these factors, including the stainless steel exoskeleton and the inherent safety benefits of electric vehicles, have played a part in the Cybertruck coming out on top in the recent tragic car crash with a Nissan Sentra.
As of now, this is all the information we’ve regarding the collision between the Cybertruck and the Nissan Sentra; however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted if we receive an update.
Until then, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
So, what do you think? Are you surprised to see a Cybertruck perform so much better than the Nissan Sentra in the recent crash? Do you think the Cybertruck is a hazard for other vehicles on the road due to its stainless steel exoskeleton? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Nic Cruz Patane on X
For more information, check out: Tesla Investors With Over $86,000 in Tesla Shares Who Requested Early Cybertruck Delivery Can Now Submit Official Documentation To Skip The Line & Get Their Truck Early
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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