It's been a bumpy year for Tesla's Cybertruck. But in a piece of good news, the vehicle came out ahead of one of its biggest rivals in a crash test.
As American Cars and Racing reported, the Cybertruck was put head-to-head against the Ford F-150 Lightning in one of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's most difficult crash tests.
The two full-size electric pickups were subjected to the Moderate Overlap Front test, in which the trucks were driven at 40 miles per hour and then had 40% of their front ends crash into a barrier. The test is designed to simulate more real-world accidents than the standard head-on test.
In that test, the Cybertruck rated as Good, which is the IIHS's highest rating. The F-150 Lightning, meanwhile, received the lowest rating of Poor.
The Cybertruck and F-150 Lightning both received a Good score in a test that monitors how well vehicles detect passengers and automatically brake. But Tesla's pickup was knocked for its headlights, which received a grade of Poor.
"The Cybertruck's headlights were also downgraded because the low beams created excessive glare," the IIHS wrote in a release.
That headlight rating, the IIHS added, means the Cybertruck is ineligible to be named a Top Safety Pick by the organization. It does, however, already have a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, per American Cars and Racing.
Overall, the crash test can be viewed as good news for Tesla and the Cybertruck, coming during a year when good news is sorely needed. The company has seen dropping sales so far in 2025, and this could help better position it.
Once one of the most-hyped vehicles on the planet, the Cybertruck has seemingly lost its buzz. In the second quarter of this year, Tesla sold just 4,305 Cybertrucks, a drop of more than 50% from the same timeframe in 2024.
Some insurance companies have used those low production numbers as a reason to drop the Cybertruck from their policies, leaving owners scrambling for other options.
|
How much would you pay for an EV with 900 miles of driving range? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Less than $30K 🤷 Still, those who own a Cybertruck or any electric vehicle have made a smart decision to help make their commute cleaner and to stop spending money at the gas pump. Those savings can be amplified by getting solar panels at home, allowing owners to charge their EVs with clean energy that's much cheaper than public charging stations or the grid.
EnergySage offers free tools that allow homeowners to quickly and easily compare quotes for solar panel installation — and save up to $10,000 in the process.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
