Elon Musk praised the Tesla Cybertruck as the ideal vehicle for an apocalypse during a recent launch event in Texas. Tesla’s website also claims that the futuristic electric vehicle is “built for any planet” and is “durable and rugged enough to go anywhere.”
Many people recalled these claims when a video went viral showing a Cybertruck, carrying a single Christmas tree, struggling to climb a snowy off-road hill in California’s Stanislaus National Forest. In the video, a Ford pickup truck on the road helps tow the Tesla vehicle up the slope.
The term “sport futility vehicle” started circulating on social media as the video gained popularity, with one user commenting, “Ok, seeing the Cybertruck called a ‘sport futility vehicle’ after needing to be rescued by a Ford made my day.”
Others argued that the issue was more about an inexperienced driver rather than the Cybertruck itself, pointing out that other trucks also get stuck on snowy hills. However, there may have been some equipment issues with that particular Cybertruck, as noted by a Tesla follower who identified it as a prototype.
Ford CEO Jim Farley responded on X, stating, “Just to be clear… this is a Super Duty and NOT advertising. Glad a Ford owner was there to help.”
Just to be clear… this is a Super Duty and NOT advertising. Glad a @Ford owner was there to help. https://t.co/Rr78EY9k2T
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) December 13, 2023
Yesterday, the National Forest Service issued a press release, playfully offering to collaborate with Tesla on an “education campaign regarding off-road vehicle use on public lands.”
They shared the press release on Facebook, where a user commented that they thought the video “was a spoof.”
The Forest Service replied, “while we may have been a touch cheeky in our response, our offer to Tesla is real and this really happened out on Corral Hollows on the Calaveras side.”
Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken stated in the release, “We are always thrilled when new opportunities to explore our public lands become available, but feel there may be work to be done in educating users about our Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM).”
He added, “You never have to worry about a software update at an incredibly awkward moment with one of our MVUM maps.”
The Forest Service continued, “We feel confident that if the Cybertruck driver had a better understanding of the topographical feature indicated on our maps, practiced Leave No Trace principles, and been more prepared, this whole incident could have been avoided and provided much-needed education to many new off-road users.”
The Cybertruck has generated significant excitement among Tesla fans.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who already owned a Model X, was among the first customers to pick up a Cybertruck in Austin, Texas, a few weeks ago. In a livestream, he described driving it as “super futuristic.”
Whether the vehicle will attract the type of drivers who typically choose the F-150 pickup truck or a similar no-nonsense workhorse remains to be seen.
Fair or not, the Cybertruck faced criticism from many on social media this week following the viral video. One Facebook user jokingly commented about the Cybertruck driver in the clip, saying, “Bless his heart… he thinks he’s in a truck.”
