Update: In a statement issued to CarScoops, IIHS director of media relations Joe Young said:
“It’s true that IIHS doesn’t have any current plans to test the Cybertruck. It’s possible that could change down the line if there’s a lot of general consumer interest in the vehicle, but it would also depend on our ability to get the number of vehicles we need. Tesla could also nominate the Cybertruck for testing. This process allows automakers to nominate vehicles that aren’t otherwise on our testing schedule. In the case that a vehicle is nominated, the automaker helps cover the cost of the vehicles.”
No independent crash testing of the Tesla Cybertruck appears to be on the cards, which will do little to dispel the thoughts of many believing the stainless steel-bodied truck is not up to the lofty safety standards of other Tesla models.
Ever since the Cybertruck was presented as a prototype more than four years ago, people have been concerned about its shape and the apparent lack of traditional crumple zones. During the unveiling of the production-ready truck in November last year, Tesla showed it being crash-tested in-house but didn’t provide any crash test data, like the ones we’re used to seeing from independent tests. Unfortunately, no further crash testing of the Cybertruck is on the cards, at least for now.
More: Tesla Cybertruck’s Sharp Edges And Rigid Body Raise Pedestrian Safety Concerns
Jalopnik recently reached out to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety and was told that there are no plans to independently crash test the Cybertruck. We have reached out to the agencies seeking more information about the reason behind this. It could be because production of the Cybertruck is initially quite limited and not set to ramp up significantly until 2025.
Read: Tesla Engineer Addresses Cybertruck Rust Debate
Despite this, many will no doubt think the Cybertruck should be independently crash-tested. After all, in 4 or 5 years, there could be well over 1 million Cybertrucks on U.S. roads, surely enough to make testing it now worthwhile. The NHTSA has already committed to crash testing a number of new EVs this year, including the Chevy Blazer EV and Equinox EV, and even the VinFast VF 8 which may only ever reach a few hundred homes across the country.