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- Elon Musk confidently claims that the Tesla Cybertruck can withstand a hunting arrow, and Joe Rogan’s attempt to pierce it was unsuccessful.
- Musk explains that the Cybertruck’s rugged metal exterior, made from 30X cold-rolled stainless steel, can withstand Tommy gun bullets and other firearms without any damage.
- Key Cybertruck details include bulletproof glass options, a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, and a weight range of 6,000 to 7,000 pounds.
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (distributed via PowerfulJRE’s YouTube channel), with whom host Joe Rogan spoke Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the future Tesla cyber truck. The hot topic of their conversation was whether a bow and arrow could penetrate the Cybertruck’s rugged exterior.
Rogan, an avid hunter and archer, was skeptical that the Cybertruck could stop his powerful hunting bow: “I have a 90-pound compound bow that shoots 520-grain arrows at 300 feet per second with a razor-sharp , with a wide tip”. He offered to try it right away, saying, “I bet I can get there.” Musk seemed confident that the Tesla Cybertruck would survive and replied, “I bet you don’t really,” putting Rogan on his dollar that an arrow wouldn’t penetrate the exterior.
Musk explains why arrows can’t penetrate a Cybertruck
Musk cited the Tesla Cybertruck’s rugged metal exterior as an example, saying it can withstand Tommy gun bullets without any penetration: “empty a whole Tommy Gun store…just stuff Al Capone in the side of the car…shotgun, 9mm, .45, and no penetrations.”
Speaking of arrow penetration, Musk noted that while a crossbow arrow is very fast at 400-500 feet per second (fps), “in general, crossbow arrows are much lighter, they’re much smaller…and have much less energy.” He said the key is the “energy per unit area” that gives a bullet more penetrating power than an arrow.
Rogan tries to prove Musk wrong about the Cybertruck’s longevity
Not one to turn down a challenge, Rogan grabbed his hunting gear and attempted to impale the Cybertruck with an 80-pound bow and arrow on the spot. Result? “Barely scratched him,” Rogan remarked, looking at where the arrow had hit. “It flattened the arrowhead and the arrow went flying.” Although Rogan is a car guy, his collection of restomods and other cars will not survive such torture. Clearly, Musk won this round of betting. But Rogan was impressed, calling it “very impressive” that the Cybertruck could withstand a direct hit from a hunting arrow at more than 275 fps without puncturing.
Cybertruck basics from the JRE podcast
- Tesla Armored Glass: There’s no debating Tesla’s armored glass, which Musk promised would offer bulletproof capabilities when he debuted the truck in 2019. Yahoo News reports that Musk has confirmed that bulletproof glass will be an option on the Cybertruck.
- Cybertruck Acceleration: Tesla’s website advertises a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds for the Cybertruck. However, Musk noted that this figure currently stands at 3.5 seconds, but that he is “aiming” to get it below three seconds with a version of Rhythm Mode.
- Cybertruck Weight: Musk shared that the Cybertruck weighs between 6,000 and 7,000 pounds. This tonnage is in line with other all-electric pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 Lightning weighs around 6,000 pounds, while the Rivian R1T is slightly heavier at 8,000 pounds.
“Complex” parts of the Cybertruck
Key details of Joe Rogan’s arrow experiment
- Rogan’s hunting arrow barely scratched the Cybertruck’s steel exterior
- The tip of the arrow “scattered” when it hit the exterior of the Cybertruck
Externally, the Cybertruck is made of ultra-hard cold-rolled 30X stainless steel and in this respect resembles the original DeLorean. Musk has demonstrated his resilience before, showing how a Tesla designer smashes door panels with a sledgehammer without leaving a dent. While most of Rogan and Musk’s conversation focused on arrows and the Cybertruck, a keen listener will discover a few interesting facts about the Cybertruck that has yet to reach customers. The entire episode is now available on Spotify.
Sources: YouTube/Powerful JRE, Tesla