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Over the years, a number of incidents have been reported, alluding to the possibility of Tesla vehicles accelerating unexpectedly and unintentionally. These reports often appear after accidents in which drivers claim their Tesla accelerated without intervening.
People’s claims that their Tesla caused an accident on its own are further amplified by Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system (Autopilot), which gives Tesla vehicles the ability to accelerate and brake on their own.
Hundreds of such claims have been investigated by regulatory bodies around the world, but not a single government organization has found evidence suggesting sudden or intentional acceleration problems with Tesla vehicles.
That said, today we have our first report suggesting that the Tesla Cybertruck suddenly and unintentionally accelerated to cause an accident.
Related news: Here’s the change I made to my Cybertruck order that caused Tesla to move my delivery date from September to this week
The video shared on X shows a Tesla Cybertruck driving on a narrow country road. As you can see below, the vehicle increases its speed until it unfortunately crashes into the neighbor’s house.
The person who uses the username Cobra1 on
Unfortunately, the accident appears to have occurred just four hours after Cobra1 took delivery of its Foundation Series Cybertruck. Cobra1 says the steering wheel and brakes were unresponsive just before the accident and he pressed the brake pedal all the way.
The owner is only now sharing the story, but says the Cybertruck accident happened two months ago and he has contacted Tesla to resolve the issue.
Cobra1 shared Tesla’s response, which is a bit vague. However, it appears that Tesla did not take responsibility for the accident, writing: “We have reviewed the records and due to terrain, the accelerator may or may not disengage when the brake is pressed. “As for the rear tire locking, we are reviewing it.”
The owner of the Cybertruck claimed that Tesla had informed him that repairs would cost $30,000. However, the electric vehicle manufacturer ordered the owner of the Cybertruck to take the claim to his insurance company.
All this is disappointing; However, Cobra1 also adds that Tesla has told him it will take up to a year until parts are available to fully repair his vehicle.
Finally, Cobra1 added that the worst thing about the accident was that his daughter was in the Cybertruck during the accident. The owner of the Cybertruck did not share details about the injuries he and his daughter suffered, but from his posts, fortunately, it does not appear that they suffered any major damage.
Our hearts go out to the owner of the Cybertruck. We understand that it must be frustrating to wait over four years for a vehicle and have it totaled within four hours of owning it. Cobra1 has waited more years than the hours he was able to enjoy his brand new truck.
Related news: I hit a deer at 75 mph with my Tesla Cybertruck and my wife, sitting in the passenger seat, barely noticed – the deer bounced cleanly
With this in mind, let’s try to analyze Cobra1’s claims that his Cybertruck accelerated on its own and caused this accident.
The first thing we must remember is that we do not have all the facts. In the absence of a third party or government organization with full access to the vehicle and Tesla’s vehicle records, none of us can confidently say that the Cybertruck accelerated on its own or that it was driver error.
Having established this, let’s look at the facts. One problem with electric vehicles is that since there is no motor that accelerates when the accelerator pedal is pressed, it can be difficult to tell whether you are pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.
Add to this the fact that many electric vehicles have excellent low-end torque and can accelerate quickly; You have the perfect recipe for EV drivers to accidentally step on the accelerator pedal thinking they were stepping on the brake.
Thousands of accidents occur each year in the U.S. where drivers accidentally press the accelerator pedal and think it was the brake.
In the case of Cobra1, the video clearly shows that the Cybertruck accelerated quickly and, given the small area, the acceleration appears to have been unintentional. Listening to the video, you can hear the Cybertruck’s tires screeching, trying to find traction.
Although not irrefutable proof, one piece of evidence against Cobra1’s claim that his Cybertruck accelerated on its own while he pressed the brake pedal is that the Cybertruck’s brake light did not come on.
Something to note here is that the Cybertruck has an unnecessarily confusing brake light. When the vehicle is running, the red light bar on the tailgate remains on; However, when a person presses the brake light, the red light bar shrinks and slows down to three smaller, thinner lights.
The reasoning behind why Tesla designed the red brake light bar to shrink when the brake pedal is pressed is unclear. However, during Cobra1’s video, you can clearly see that the rear bar light remained fully on, suggesting that he did not press the brake pedal.
The fact that Cobra1 only had his Cybertruck for 4 hours may also contribute to him accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal, thinking it was the brake. Four hours is not enough to completely get used to a new vehicle.
That said, before making a judgment, it is important to note that, although it suggests fault on the part of the driver, the failure of the brake light to come on is not conclusive proof that the accident was not due to fault of the driver. Cybertruck.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a few months ago, Tesla recalled all Cybertrucks in circulation due to an issue with the accelerator pedal. In this failure mode, an aluminum cover over the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal can become loose and wedged under a small opening, leaving the accelerator pedal fully depressed.
However, in this case, Cobra1 did not claim that the accelerator pedal cover was loose and did not point to this failure mode as the reason behind his accident.
Overall, despite this unfortunate accident, we are happy that Cobra1 and his daughter are still alive to tell the story. Currently, this is all the information we have regarding reports of sudden and unintentional acceleration of the Cybertruck.
However, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the story develops and will let you know if we hear back from Tesla. Until then, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, periodically for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Did the Cybertruck crash on its own or do you think it’s the driver’s fault? Also, what do you think of Tesla’s response and the fact that repairs will require $30,000 and a year for parts to be available? Let us know your opinion in the comments below by clicking the red button “Add new comment” button.
Image: Insurance Auto Auction, Inc.’s Total Cybertruck Auction
For more information, see: I needed to carry mulch and my Tesla Cybertruck showed why it is the perfect truck to do it
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the electric vehicle space daily for several years. He covers all things Tesla, from cars to Elon Musk, the energy business and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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