Straddling the San Andreas Fault about an hour south of San Jose sits Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area.
The 6,800 acre park, which is the first vehicle recreation area in the California State Park system, has nearly 200 miles of trails for motor vehicle enthusiasts to get the kind of off-roading experience that they just can't get on California's freeways.
Related: Tesla adds controversial clause to contract for Cybertruck buyers
It's also the place where Tesla TSLA has been testing it's Cybertruck release candidate for at least the past few months. Type "cybertruck hollister hills" into X's search tab, formerly Twitter, and you'll see videos dating back to mid-Sept. of Tesla's pending inaugural entry into the pickup market navigating man-made obstacles meant to test the limits off-roading vehicles.
But it was a video of the EV truck over the weekend that had social media talking.
Tesla Cybertruck release candidate spotted climbing the off-road stairs at the Hollister Hills SVRA in California.
— Python (@slobodan_ukic) November 12, 2023
via: @stretch_thecj21#cybertruck #tesla pic.twitter.com/m2vuwenBDo
The truck, with its left panel emblazoned with a "release candidate" tag, appears to struggle its way up the path, which is paved with concrete and is reportedly designed to be a smooth surface that makes gaining traction difficult.
But where one electric vehicle appears to struggle, the driver of one of Tesla's biggest potential EV rivals made it up the hill with seemingly little trouble.
Stair Step is made from mostly cement. They made it to be a low traction surface and offsetting the steps making the vehicle climb and flex or articulate its suspension. As more vehicles drive up, they leave behind trails of dirt making it more slippery. pic.twitter.com/uuRpzjx6H5
— omg_Tesla/Rivian (@omg_tesla) November 13, 2023
Tesla has one of the most vociferous fan bases on social media — think Taylor Swift and the 'Swifties' or Beyonce and the 'Beyhive' — and Elon Musk's online army was quick to point out some of the reasons why the Cybertruck may have looked like it was struggling.
Now try it without momentum, stopping at every incline like the Cybertruck did 😂
— Tesla Pilot 🛩🇺🇸 (@jchybow) November 12, 2023
The top complaints from the Tesla side were that the tires in the Tesla video appear over inflated for off-roading purposes; and that the Rivian R1T had more momentum when it ascended the incline.
But if there was one thing both sides could agree on it's that the torque provided by electric vehicles far outweighs the performance capabilities of internal combustion vehicles.
Both Rivian and Tesla have 10x the power and torque of normal off road vehicles. It’s all down to tires and suspension - can you put that torque down on the road without spinning wheels.
— Ewan Makepeace (@ewanmakepeace) November 13, 2023
The Rivian RIVN R1T goes for about $80,000 on average. Meanwhile the Cybertruck is expected to make its debut in the coming weeks with deliveries expected to start on Nov. 30.
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