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During a 2019 launch event for Tesla’s Cybertruck, Elon Musk stood in front of two Armor Glass windows, the webbed lines of shattered glass spreading from an impact point on the not-so- shatterproof glass. Though Musk had an explanation for the failed test, alleging that the glass had already been put under too much pressure, it made it easier to question any current claims about the truck. For example, at the same event, the Tesla CEO confirmed the Cybertruck would be covered in 3mm of the same 301 stainless steel used in SpaceX’s Starship craft, essentially making it bulletproof to 9mm rounds.

Though Musk noted the bullet resistance of the Cybertruck, none of the vehicle’s official marketing materials mention this feature. The landing page for the truck speaks of the “ultra-hard stainless-steel exoskeleton,” but falls short of describing its resilience to firearms. Instead, it simply mentions the ability to “reduce dents, damage and long-term corrosion.” Since Musk’s mention of the Cybertruck’s ability to stand up to 9 m rounds, though, there’s been ample speculation as to the resilience of the exoskeleton.

The short answer as to whether the Cybertruck is bulletproof is “kind of.” At the 2023 delivery event, Musk showcased a quick video of the truck being pelted with bullets from a Thompson submachine gun, which failed to penetrate the exoskeleton. Musk even confirmed the test on Twitterthough it’s possible he wasn’t being fully forthcoming, leaving the full extent of the truck’s resilience as questionable.

The saga of Elon Musk’s bulletproof claims

Two months before the delivery event, Musk responded to a Twitter post that showed a bullet-ridden Cybertruck on the road, stating they fired a Tommy gun into the driver’s door. Taking Musk’s response, which was likely referencing the November 30, 2023, delivery event, The Drive went down the rabbit hole and suggested that the Cybertruck “Isn’t Nearly as Bulletproof as Elon Musk Wants You To Think.”

Though there’s no question that the footage of the damaged Cybertruck was real, the issue lay more with the bullets used. As The Driver discovered via a Tesla employee, the Thompson referenced by Musk was loaded with .45 ACP ammo. If you’re not up on your firearm and bullet strengths, Pew Pew Tactical notes that 9mm ammo is more penetrative than the .45 ACP. With that information, one can extrapolate that the burst of fire from the Tommy Gun wouldn’t have the force needed to punch through the allegedly rust-proof 301 stainless steel.

Just thirteen days after The Driver’s write-up, Tesla showcased the full bulletproof test. It starts with a Thompson, which peppered the door but left no punctures. However, the test progresses and eventually features 9mm ammo, fired from a handgun and MP5 submachine gun, and buckshot from a 12-gauge shotgun. Despite the punishment, the stainless-steel exoskeleton held up to 9mm ammo. A double hit of buckshot in one spot punched through the exterior but didn’t make it through the inner paneling.

Can any bullet break through the Cybertruck’s exoskeleton?

With Tesla’s bulletproof test public, it seemed Musk’s claims were fully substantiated, but as YouTuber JerryRigEverything showed, it was just the tip of the iceberg. In a snowy March 2024 video, JerryRigEverything’s owner Zack Nelsonran a Cybertruck through a gamut of bullet tests. Though Tesla proved the truck could stand up to .45 ACP, 12-gauge buckshot, and 9mm bullets, as Zack states in the video“There’s always going to be a bigger bullet.”

Presenting a table full of firearms and rifles, Zack reconfirmed the exoskeleton could stand up to 9mm bullets. Progressing down the line, Zack moved on to a .22 caliber bullet, capable of traveling at about 1,000 feet per second. Like the 9mm, it, too, failed to punch through the metal, but the .17 caliber (up to 3,000 feet per second) fired next had the same effect as the 12-gauge buckshot. It punctured the door, but never made it through the panel.

It wasn’t until Zack broke out the AR-15 and .50 caliber bullets that the Cybertruck showed its limits. The AR-15 shot straight through the door’s exterior layer, leaving a small crack as it exited the panel. The much larger .50 caliber left a clear exit wound and would have cleared the full width of the vehicle if the door were closed. Though none of the tests wound up cracking the window glass, Zack does note that the truck’s windows were not bulletproof at all.

Was it Tesla’s intention to make the Cybertruck bullet resistant?

With the Cybertruck’s limits tested, it may leave some wondering if Musk oversold the model at both the reveal and delivery event. At the reveal event, he specifically stated that it was impervious to 9mm bullets, however, his language in other instances has painted the Cybertruck as the type of car to hide behind when the bullets start flying. In fact, at the delivery event, he stated specifically that.

In a United States Securities and Exchange Commission Schedule 14A, which is filed when a “definitive proxy statement” is issued to shareholders, Musk is on record calling the Cybertruck bulletproof. He even confirms that the Cybertruck was designed to be bulletproof. However, during the full bullet test posted by Tesla, Lead Cybertruck Engineer Wes Morrill states“Obviosuly, we didn’t design it to be bulletproof, but if it works out in the end, it’s just icing on the cake.”

Depending on who you listen to, it’s questionable if making Musk’s vision of the “finest in apocalypse technology” was ever Tesla’s intention or if it was simply a happy accident from using the highly durable 301 stainless steel exoskeleton. Since an extensive search of the official Tesla website produces no marketing mentioning it among the truck’s many features, it’s more than likely the latter. The only real instance of the company referring to the Cybertruck as bulletproof is a $308 t-shirt designed after the original reveal event.