In August, a Russian warlord posted a video on Telegram showing a pair of Cybertrucks patrolling a highway in Chechnya, apparently armed with heavy machine guns. Leaving aside the (for now) unanswered questions about how the vehicles were obtained, Wired thought it was worth investigating whether a Cybertruck really it makes sense as “technical,” the term for modified civilian trips used by the military and military groups.
What did the media find? Well, it’s complicated. One expert noted that the Cybertrucks’ stainless steel frame can withstand some abuse and that they are fast and quiet, an advantage in stealth operation. A second expert described trucks’ heavy reliance on software as potentially catastrophic; They are also incredibly heavy, making maneuverability and traction on certain terrain difficult. (As a reminder, they don’t seem to be doing so well in sand.)
That first expert told Wired: “It’s great that [the Cybertruck] You are safe in an accident and may take a bullet. But if you break a control arm and can’t get the part, it’s pretty useless.”