Ford F-150 Lightning loses about a quarter of its range when carrying maximum payload

[Crissa]

... the ladder frame of the F-150 is just more tolerant of abuse...

We don't know this fact. Failure mode is different, since the Cybertruck be hardened steel and stiff aluminum, but the failure point should be in Cybertruck's favor.

-Crissa

 

[ldjessee]

Having worked on a helicopter with skin as a stressed member of the frame, overloading can cause small stretching/tearing at connection points and can be obvious if you know what to look for, but that helicopter could lift 2-3 CyberTrucks, depending on weight, and still carry 20+ troops inside.

I am waiting for crash testing videos and the inevitable videos online of people doing stupid things that push the CyberTruck to failure…

 

[HaulingAss]

We don't know this fact. Failure mode is different, since the Cybertruck be hardened steel and stiff aluminum, but the failure point should be in Cybertruck's favor.

-Crissa

The ladder frame deals with abuse by twisting which disipates a lot of the energy (but ultimately it will bend and not return to it's previous shape). Do you know what the failure mode will be in the Cybertruck? I suspect the first sign will be cracked windshield or roof glass. It could also be broken welds, broken glue joints, elongated fastener holes or buckled body panels. The Cybertruck is not designed to twist much.

What we don't know is how much leeway there is between the GVWR and failure and what kind of terrain/speed the Cybertruck will handle before failure.

For example, the Hummer that famously failed (totaled) in the first 9 miles of its life, was well within it's GVWR but it failed due to hitting a dip in the road at 55 mph. On existing trucks, there is no definitive line separating what is OK and what is not because it really comes down to dynamic loading and how hard you abuse the thing. Lightly loaded, a truck can typically take some pretty hard hits without issues. But as the load increases, it's up to the driver to drive it in a manner that prevents damage.

The Cybertruck has a much higher cargo rating than the F-150 Lightning. What remains to be seen is if that rating can be exceeded by the same percentage in the Cybertruck and still be driven on the same road, in the same manner, as the Lightning, without damage. I've loaded my F-150 with over double the rated load and driven on firm but not totally flat/smooth roads, relatively slowly, without damage. I took it pretty slow over the large speed bumps! I doubt the Cybertruck could be loaded over double its rated cargo capacity and make the same trip without being damaged.

But hear me out, my Ford is rated to 1750 lbs. and I had a little over 3600 lbs. in it. The equivalent load in a Cybertruck rated to 3500 lbs. would be around 7100 lbs (over 3 1/2 tons!). That's what I mean when I say I don't think it will be as tolerant of abuse, relative to its cargo capacity.

I do think the Cybertruck will have far better driving dynamics when fully loaded to it's GVWR, and it will inspire confidence. That doesn't mean you can race it in the Baja 1000 while it's loaded to it's GVWR! Because of the superior stiffness of the Cybertruck, I expect the failure mode to be more dramatic. People who don't abuse their trucks will not have to worry, but everything has its limits.

 

[Crissa]

Hopefully the failure mode will be damaged or destroyed struts and shocks before we see metal fatigue in the body.

-Crissa