Vehicle safety is hugely important. Nobody wants to be maimed or killed – or see friends or family harmed – in an automobile wreck. This is why crash testing is so important, so drivers can make informed choices about the cars and trucks they purchase.
The Tesla Cybertruck has received plenty of well-deserved criticism, but safety does not appear to be an issue. This all-electric stainless steel wonder was recently evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and here’s how this pickup performed.
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A Five-Star Rating From the NHTSA
Overall, the Cybertruck earned a five-star rating from NHTSA, the highest score available. In the frontal barrier test, where a vehicle is slammed into a flat, rigid wall at 35 mph to simulate “a head-on collision between two similar vehicles,” this Tesla earned a five-star score for the driver and a four-star rating for the front passenger.
Next up, the side-impact evaluation. This test simulates an intersection collision between two vehicles. According to NHTSA, “A moving non-rigid barrier, angled at 27 degrees, is crashed into the driver’s side of the test vehicle at 38.5 mph.” Here the Cybertruck earned another five-star rating. Similarly, NHTSA performs a side barrier and side pole test. Unlike the side-impact evaluation, this simulates crashing into a tree or utility pole. “The test vehicle, angled at 75 degrees, is crashed into a rigid pole at 20 mph,” though this was no trouble for the Cybertruck, which earned another five-star rating.
Finally, there’s the rollover test, which can be a challenge for taller vehicles that have higher centers of gravity. Regardless, this elevated Tesla earned a four-star rating, likely because of the heavy battery pack mounted underneath the floor helped keep things planted. NHTSA estimates the risk of a rollover is 12.4 percent.
When it comes to advanced driver assistance technologies, the Cybertruck also performs well. This pickup should come standard with dynamic brake support, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and land departure warning. With these systems, this vehicle meets NHTSA’s performance criteria.
NHTSA evaluated the Cybertruck back in December, with the government safety agency smashing up the top-shelf Cyberbeast model. This version of the vehicle starts at about $100,000 with delivery and ordering fees. The Cyberbeast delivers an estimated 320 miles of range and can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 2.6 seconds.
The Cybertruck Is Safe, But Is It Safe Enough?
NHTSA crash testing is hugely important, but it’s not the only game in town. The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does even more rigorous evaluations, including the challenging small- and moderate-overlap crash tests. IIHS also rates vehicle headlamps, seatbelt reminders, and how easy child seat anchors are to use.
The Tesla Cybertruck did well in NHTSA testing, but it does not appear to have been evaluated by the IIHS. Rival pickups have, of course, been tested by this organization, including 2025 versions of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500. Tesla’s Model 3 and Model S sedans as well as the Model Y and Model X SUVs have also been evaluated by the IIHS.
