Tesla recalls 46,000 Cybertrucks amid defect controversy
Tesla announces the recall of over 46,000 Cybertrucks produced since November 2023. The reason is a defect in the cant rail panel, which can detach and pose a road hazard, reports CNBC.
Tesla has reported the need to recall 46,000 Cybertruck vehicles due to the risk of the cant rail panel detaching. According to the report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this component can "delaminate and detach from the vehicle," increasing the risk of an accident - as noted.
The recall includes all Cybertrucks produced from November 2023 to February 2025. Tesla has informed owners they can replace the defective panel for free at authorized service centres, reports CNBC.
Tesla's decision comes at a difficult time for the manufacturer, whose market value has dropped by over 40%. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's activities as an advisor to President Donald Trump remain in the background.
Controversies surrounding Cybertrucks
On Wednesday, it was reported that two academic researchers from Rice University in Texas - Vivian Chenxue Lu and Nana Osei-Opare - analyzing the historical significance of armoured vehicles from the apartheid era, found similarities between them and Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck model.
Whether or not this was intentional, the Cybertruck’s harsh, sharp edges remind us, instead, of something from the past: the larger armored personnel vehicles that patrolled streets throughout Musk’s youth in apartheid South Africa, wrote Lu and Osei-Opare in the latest issue of "Slate".
During the apartheid era in South Africa, Casspir vehicles were primarily deployed in areas inhabited by Black residents, becoming, alongside German shepherds, symbols of state repression against this part of the population.
Some users, likely without Tesla's consent, are converting the car into a combat vehicle, making it even more similar to a Casspir. An example is the Chechens, who in support of Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, mounted heavy machine guns on the Cybertruck.
Elon Musk, who left South Africa in 1988, a year before his planned military conscription, has been accused of sympathizing with white racists. These allegations surfaced after he allegedly made a gesture resembling a Nazi salute during President Donald Trump’s inaugural rally. However, his supporters claim it was actually a Roman salute.
