--- title: "The Cybertruck Appears to Be More Deadly Than the Infamous Ford Pinto, According to a New Analysis" description: "A new analysis suggests that the Cybertruck might lead to 17 times more fatalities than the infamous Ford Pinto." date: "2025-02-08" modified: "2025-02-08" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cybertruck-ford-pinto-comparison" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "cybertruck" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # The Cybertruck Appears to Be More Deadly Than the Infamous Ford Pinto, According to a New Analysis ![A new analysis suggests that the Cybertruck might lead to 17 times more fatalities than the infamous Ford Pinto.]() *LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 02: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image contains graphic content.) A monitor displays an image of authorities investigating a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year's Day in front of the entrance to the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas during a news conference at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters on January 02, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that authorities believe the person of interest in the incident is 37-year-old Matthew Alan Livelsberger, an active member of the U.S. military, but are waiting for the coroner to make the final determination. McMahill also said the driver suffered a gunshot wound to the head that is believed to have been self-inflicted. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) \Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images\* On New Years morning this year, US Army Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger rolled his rental cybertruck up near the front doors of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. Levelsberger then armed a device which would [soon detonate]() a collection of gas canisters and explosive fireworks, blowing the windows out of the hotel and injuring seven bystanders. Never one to waste a tragedy, Musk soon took to [X-formerly-Twitter to brag]() up that the "Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards" — a claim which inadvertently led to [the revelation]() that Tesla tracks and can remotely lock vehicles. Now a year into the Cybertruck's lifespan, it turns out that explosions might be the *only* thing they make safer. A [new analysis]() by independent automotive blog *FuelArc* suggests that fire fatalities are 17 times more likely in a Cybertruck than in the infamous Ford Pinto — the [posterchild of deadly cars]() if ever there was one. The site arrives at that conclusion by comparing the total units sold so far — 34,438 for the Cybertruck, compared to 3,173,491 for the ill-fated Pinto, discontinued in 1980 — and comparing reported fire fatalities for both. At the current rate of horrible fiery deaths, *FuelArc* projects the Cybertruck will have 14.52 fatalities per 100,000 units — far eclipsing the Pinto's 0.85. (In absolute terms, *FuelArc* found, 27 Pinto drivers died in fires, while five Cybertruck drivers have suffered the same fate, at least so far.) Asked for comment, a *FuelArc* analyst had some advice for Cybertruck owners: "you should know where your emergency door releases are and how to operate them, and instruct your backseat passengers on the same." *FuelArc* caveats that the numbers are an estimate at best, because Tesla doesn't release its Cybertruck sales data to the public, lest it hurt its stock price. But that's not the only thing that hasn't been released. The Cybertruck — an almost [3 ton vehicle]() which is [apparently allowed]() to drive itself — has never passed independent [crash testing]() by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and has refused to release its in-house safety testing data, which means other drivers and pedestrians are in the dark as to its safety. The tacky EVs have been a source of controversy for just about everyone, owing to their apparent [lack of crumple zones](), [hazardous self-driving software](), [batteries that catch fire](), and a small problem where the things [brick in the middle of the highway]() — and that's just a tiny sampling of the [many issues]() reported with Musk's cyberpunk fantasy car. Case in point, they've [been impounded]() whenever they've shown up in the UK, and EU safety organizations are hoping to [ban the things]() from European streets. Regardless, civilians in North America are now at the mercy of tens of thousands of them – at least until it becomes [too passé]() to take them out in public. **More on Cybertrucks:** [*Tesla Moves Workers Away From Cybertruck Production as Demand Slumps*]() ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()