Tesla Cybertruck Hitch Tested To Failure, Could Be A Problem For Heavier Trailers

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Last year, extreme torture tests by WhistlinDiesel got a lot of attention. When put through testing that is far from real-world conditions, the Cybertruck eventually failed in spectacular fashion, with the hitch snapping completely loose. Then, stories of people hauling trailers and seeing similar failures without the torture testing started to come out. Further testing on other trucks, including an F-150, showed that similar torture does not cause catastrophic failure. The truck came away totaled, but a trailer wouldn’t be flying down the highway unattached. This leads to an obvious question:

Does this frame failure matter? Will anyone operating a Cybertruck responsibly in normal conditions ever see this happen to them?

Fortunately, someone else was willing to damage their Cybertruck and see whether this happens and how much force is required.

In the video, we see an excavator pulling down on the Cybertruck’s hitch via a scale to see how much weight it takes to snap the hitch off. Then, once the carnage is complete, a second truck (a 3/4 ton steel-framed pickup) gets the same treatment without ever snapping off, despite repeated harsher testing. So, again, the Cybertruck is weaker than steel-framed pickup trucks with steel hitches attached.

I know Tesla’s defenders will point out that the failure at a little over 10,000 pounds isn’t a problem because trailers don’t put all of their weight on the hitch. Only 10–15% of the weight is supposed to go on the hitch ball, with the rest going to the wheels of the trailer itself. In the Cybertruck’s case, the hitch weight is just over 1,100 pounds, leading to a maximum trailer weight of about 11,000 pounds (at 10% tongue weight exactly). Obviously, 1,100 is a lot smaller than 10,000 pounds, so things should be OK, right?

Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that. Hitch weight ratings are supposed to be static weights. On the CAT Scale at your local truck stop (something you should do if you’re hauling a trailer), you can only test the weight of the truck, hitch, and trailer sitting still on level ground. You can’t test to see what happens when the truck hits a bump in the road or when the weight shifts during acceleration, braking, or on hills. A hitch rated for 1,100 pounds of static weight has to be able to handle a LOT more than 1,100 pounds of force to be prepared for real-world G forces.

For the truck to suffer frame failure and become completely uncoupled from the trailer, you’d have to be at or near maximum load and take a fairly hard hit. A larger pothole could easily do this (and internet stories say that this has happened). Driving on rough trails with a large trailer could likely cause this kind of force, too. If the static weight is at maximum and gets multiplied by more than 10 Gs, catastrophic failure of this sort can occur.

Personally, if I was a Cybertruck owner, I wouldn’t be too afraid of this, though. It’s usually not a good idea to tow at a vehicle’s maximum tow rating, especially on long trips. Staying at 70–80% of maximum or lower is better for safety and longevity. It’s also a good idea to avoid anything that could multiply the forces the hitch is subjected to, like hitting a pothole or going down tough off-road trails with a heavy trailer.

But, if your plan for a Cybertruck was to hang out near the max tongue weight, I’d be rethinking either the truck or choice of trailer.

Featured image by Kyle Field.