Tesla’s Cybertruck reportedly catches fire after its battery was damaged in the field – but the details of the fire are suspicious

A new video circulating online shows the Cybertruck catching fire after the truck’s battery was allegedly damaged while driving off-road.

The owner of the Cybertruck involved in this incident is Stephen Sharer, a prominent YouTuber with over 11 million subscribers. You may be familiar with his “Share The Love” tour.

Stephen shares a short video of smoke coming from his Cybertruck. The sharer titled the video “My Brother Crashed My Cybertruck, My Cybertruck Exploded!”

The video clearly shows smoke coming from Stephen Sharer’s cybertruck, which is half wrapped in pink packaging and half made of stainless steel.

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Stephen further commented, “Guys, we took the Cybertruck off-road and it started smoking. We shook the battery against something. It burns like crazy. Cybertruck is smoking! It’s not good, I repeat, it’s not good!

Stephen sounds worried as he says these words, breathing heavily and sounding worried.

Smoke is mainly coming from the Cybertruck’s bed and rear passenger compartment. Looking around the area, we see that the Cybertruck is parked in an open area in the middle of the street.

The area appears to be residential. An orange cone can also be seen near the truck; however, no emergency services are seen during the short video.

If this incident is indeed true, it will be the first recorded case of a Cybertruck catching fire in the wild. However, the online community is full of skepticism and is questioning Stephen Sharer’s claims that his Cybertruck caught fire.

The top-rated comment on Stephen’s video even says, “Are you sure you didn’t leave the smoke machine in the back?”

Given the attention the Cybertruck is attracting, it’s not hard to imagine an internet personality claiming that his Cybertruck falsely set itself on fire to gain notoriety.

Those inclined to believe it was a simple publicity stunt point out that even in the 15-second video, you can clearly see the smoke quickly dissipating, lending credence to the idea that the smoke may have been artificially produced.

As smoke rises from the bed of the Cybertruck, people claim that before the video begins, Stephen Sharer loaded a smoke machine into the bed of the Cybertruck, closed the Cybertruck’s vault, allowed the smoke to accumulate, opened the tonneau cover, and played the video, claiming that from his Cybertruck smoke comes out.

Those doubting the Cybertruck’s smoke footage also point out that, with the exception of Stephen Sharer, all of the other people captured in the video did not appear concerned or even seem to acknowledge that the vehicle in front of them was on fire.

Taking all this into account, evidence is starting to mount to suggest that this may be a simple publicity stunt; however, there is no definitive way to determine one option or another unless Stephen Sharer admits that the video was staged.

But let’s give Stephen the benefit of the doubt and assume that this is indeed the first Cybertruck battery fire recorded in the wild.

If your vehicle’s battery compartment becomes damaged, Tesla has several safety features designed to mitigate the damage caused by an uncontrolled cell fire.

Specifically, the Cybertruck’s 4680 structural battery pack is filled with a flame retardant additive that isolates the battery cells from each other in the event of battery cell failure.

Tesla chose a fire-resistant adhesive that holds the 4680 cells together, provides structural rigidity and prevents fires.

In addition to the fire-resistant glue, Tesla has included a vent in the Cybertruck’s battery that will open automatically if it detects gas buildup in the battery.

This should prevent a few damaged cells from further damaging other cells, which could result in an uncontrolled fire.

In the event of a cell failure, Tesla’s excellent cell management software also notifies you via a chime and a pop-up notification on the center touchscreen, informing you of the problem and instructing you to exit the vehicle immediately.

Here are some of the fire mitigation steps Tesla is taking to protect passengers in the event of battery damage.

However, Tesla also uses various structural mechanisms to prevent cell damage in the first place.

All Tesla vehicles are equipped with a hardened steel plate on the bottom to prevent tampering with the battery compartment. Specifically for the Cybertruck, Tesla Cybertruck’s chief engineer stated that for Cybertruck owners who are off-road enthusiasts, Tesla will offer an optional skid plate that will provide additional protection for the underside of the truck.

There is currently no timeline for when Tesla will begin offering Cybertruck skid plates other than later this year.

Overall, seeing an EV on fire can unnerve some people and even discourage them from purchasing an EV. However, it should be remembered that the risk of fire in electric vehicles is much lower than in combustion vehicles.

In Tesla’s case, the risk of the electric vehicle maker’s vehicles catching fire is one-tenth that of the average gas car. This means that even if Stephen Sharer’s Cybertruck fire is real, it’s worth remembering that you are much safer in the event of a Tesla fire than in any other vehicle.

For now, this is all the information we have about the first Cybertruck fire recorded in the wild. However, we will keep you updated as more information about the details of the mishap becomes available.

Until then, visit our website TorqueNews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.

So what do you think? Are you surprised to see your Cybertruck catching fire after an off-road trip? Also, do you think the fire was justified or was the smoke fake? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below by clicking the red buttonAdd a new comment” button.

Picture: Screenshot from Stephen Sharer’s YouTube video

For more information, check: Tesla Cybertruck Seen at Gas Station Powering Several Gas Pumps, Allowing ICE Vehicles to Fill – Cybertruck Comes to the Rescue After Power Grid Fails in Texas Oil Area

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the electric vehicle space on a daily basis for several years. He discusses everything about Tesla, from cars to Elon Musk, the energy business and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay daily news about Tesla.