- Swiftly opening the cyber truck's door, a thief effortlessly removes the tank's glass frame.
Tesla boasts about the durability of the Cybertruck, particularly its steel-clad body which supposedly won't dent, get damaged, or corrode over time. The windows also received special attention during the vehicle's presentation.
However, during the demonstration, it became apparent that safeguarding automobile glass from various types of strain isn't as straightforward as it seems. Tesla's lead designer, Franz von Holzhausen, managed to smash the windows twice in a row with steel ball throws. Tesla CEO Elon Musk quipped, "At least the balls didn't go through," visibly surprised, and vowed to enhance the glass.
Subsequently, a test by the YouTube channel "The Kilowatts" showed that it now requires considerable force to harm the glass. Tesla also repeated the test, this time with a baseball. However, despite the glass being more prone to shatter upon direct impact from hard objects, one shouldn't assume that the car is burglar-proof.
Burglar Breezes Past Cybertruck's Glass
This was demonstrated in a surveillance video shared on Facebook by a car owner. The video shows a hooded man approaching the Cybertruck, checking his surroundings, and waiting for an opportunity. Once he sees no one's watching, he strikes. In a flash, the man removes the entire window from the door. He then rips off the undamaged but removed glass and enters the vehicle.
The man spends a brief moment inside the Cybertruck before exiting and driving away after an unusually long pause.
Cybertruck Owner Misses the Alarm
The more concerning issue is that the car's owner, a man named Anuj Thakkar, stated, "No alarm, no notifications on my phone. It's literally like nothing happened, I found the car like this. This can't be right. Does anyone know why there's no alarm system?"
Generally, a Tesla is well-protected against unauthorized access. The "Sentry Mode" activates when suspicious activities are detected around the vehicle after leaving it. Tesla claims, "If a threat is detected or the vehicle sensors detect frequent impact movements, like those that occur during towing or rocking, Sentry Mode will respond as follows: The headlights will flash, the alarm will sound, you will be notified via the mobile app, and video recordings of the incident will be stored on a USB drive."
Although Sentry Mode is usually disabled due to energy consumption, it was enabled in this case. The recordings prove that the car captured footage of the break-in. However, why it didn't function properly as expected remains a mystery to Thakkar.
In the video's comments section, other Tesla owners also report failure in notifications during attempted break-ins.
Windows Need to be Removed
The broken window isn't entirely surprising. A thief would likely gain entry to any other car just as quickly. Other manufacturers do not advertise their glass as being particularly resistant.
This might not be important for a private individual driving a passenger car, as in an emergency, you need to be able to quickly and easily shatter the window if the doors won't open. This is possible with the shatter-resistant Cybertruck glass, but not in fragments. The difference is probably some kind of coating that prevents the glass from fragmenting.
In response to the incident, Tesla might consider adding a statement to their promotional materials about the need for enhanced security measures, such as the use of a car alarm system or keeping valuables out of sight.
The following is added: Tesla should also consider strengthening the Cybertruck's alarm system to prevent or alert the owner of potential break-ins, especially since the Sentry Mode seemed to fail during the reported incident.
