Cybertruck's towing strength questioned after dramatic failure in test

Tesla Cybertruck, known for its controversial design, faces new scrutiny after a stress test revealed a potential weakness in its towing capabilities. An experiment showed the electric truck's rear frame ripping apart under pressure, raising concerns about its ability to tow heavy loads.

The test, conducted by YouTuber Zack Nelson, aimed to assess the Cybertruck's tow hitch strength. Tesla claims the vehicle can tow up to 11,001 lb and handle a tongue weight of 1,102 lb. Nelson used heavy machinery to apply downward force on the tow hitch, measuring the weight with a crane scale. At 10,000 lb, the truck began to show signs of stress. By 10,500 lb, the rear section of the frame snapped away from the Cybertruck.

This points to a potential design flaw in the Cybertruck's frame. The frame, constructed from cast aluminum, measures only 0.12 inches to 0.16 inches in thickness. This might contribute to weight reduction, but it appears to compromise the vehicle's structural integrity under heavy stress.

The consequences of the failure are significant. The complete separation of the rear frame resulted in 28 error codes on the Cybertruck's infotainment system, rendering the vehicle immobile. The bumper's detachment means safety chains, designed to secure a trailer, would also fail, potentially allowing the trailer to become completely separated.

Nelson pointed out that while the test involved an extreme tongue weight, similar forces could occur in real-world scenarios. According to him, a large pothole at highway speeds could transfer a trailer's weight onto the tow hitch. This would raise concerns about the Cybertruck's ability to safely tow heavy loads under normal driving conditions.

In a comparative test, a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 remained intact, with the tow hitch still in place after 10,700 lb of downward force. This is the advantage of a traditional steel frame in towing applications. The Cybertruck's aluminum frame, innovative as it may be, appears to lack the necessary strength to withstand extreme stress.

While the failure is dramatic, it doesn't mean the Cybertruck is not capable of safe towing. While the YouTuber argues that the full weight of the trailer can transfer onto the hitch in some circumstances, it would take an extraordinary chain of event for that to happen. The full weight is always positioned on the axles; even during heavy bumps, the majority of the weight still goes through the trailer's axles and wheels. Even at heavy braking, where the mass pushes forward, a substantial chunk of it is negated since the trailer's wheels are doing a lot of braking.

The only situation when the full weight of the trailer is pushing down onto the tow hitch is if you somehow manage to stack it up vertically in the air, standing on the tongue. And if you manage to do that - then we don't think you should be doing any towing at all. Or driving for that matter.

The test, however, reveals something important. The old Dodge aced it because steel doesn't weaken over time, and it bends under stress, rather than snapping away. That's the reason we don't have towing bars made out of aluminum. Attaching a steel tow bar to an aluminum frame, however strong, will make it weaker over time, possibly to a point 20 years down the line, when it won't be safe enough for towing.

So if you are using Cybertruck for towing, you are safe. For now. If you load up the trailer as you should, with no more than 1,102 lb on the tongue (which is ridiculous weight already), you'll have a safety margin of nearly 10,000 lb, as Nelson's test proves. But if you plan to tow heavy loads regularly and for many years to come, just remember that the aluminum frame will keep getting weaker.

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