I was reading MotorTrend’s CyberTruck Off-Roading Review, and it was pretty rough going. They apparently do not love the truck!
One section particularly stood out to me. They had a support truck for backup, a Silverado ZR2, and here’s what they had to say about it:
״Parts of Pilot Rock Trail were still covered by a thin layer of sticky mud from overnight rain when we rolled up in the Cybertruck. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue for a 35-inch mud-terrain tire. However, as the tire treads quickly packed with slop, we began to suspect something was amiss with the Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT tires fit on the Cybertruck.
– MotorTrend
Checking our support Chevy Silverado ZR2, which was fit with Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires, we found the Tesla-spec tires have a similar tread pattern but 4/32 of an inch less tread depth. This equates not only to thousands of miles of lost wear but also to far less traction when it’s needed the most.”
That got me thinking… both of these trucks are marketed for off-roading. The CyberTruck is marketed as The Toughest Truck on Earth, a regular off-roading ‘Beast if you believe the hype.
How is the hyper-expensive electric truck being outperformed here?
Well, the spec sheet tells the tale.
Where the Rubber Meets the (Off)Road
The guys over at MotorTrend hit the nail on the head, the CyberTruck has about 28% less tread depth than the Silverado, and that means worse traction. On a wet trail, on a snowy day, or even just on a rain-slick highway, that means worse traction performance.
| Feature | Tesla Cybertruck | Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Model | Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT | Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT |
| Tire Size | 285/65R20 | 275/70R18 |
| Tread Design | Rugged Terrain (RT) | Mud-Terrain (MT) |
| Tire Width | 285 mm | 275 mm |
| Tread Depth | 14/32 inches | 18/32 inches |
| Price | $513.99 per tire | $195.15 per tire |
You might be wondering… “jesus, why?” Me too, honestly.
Why market it as an off-roading beast, and then neuter its ability to off-road with low performance tires?
The answer might surprise you. The CyberTruck is just too damn loud. Literally, the cabin noise is more obvious due to the silent operation of the engine, and apparently the truck is intolerably, distractingly loud at highway speed.
This has been a known issue for the CyberTruck since the Alpha prototypes back in 2022. WIRED has some great coverage. In prototype and using CAD software, the Tesla engineers knew that the truck would fail basic NVH tests. NVH means Noise, Vibration, and Harshness. That means that the truck was known to be noisy, leaky, and loud.
Well, by speccing smaller treads on the stock tires, they sort-of solved one of those problems! The only issue: now the truck sucks to off-road with.
For no particular reason, here is a CyberTruck enjoying some impromptu snow-wheeling.
Don’t try auto pilot on the snow
byu/AXI-UM inCyberStuck
