Tesla Cybertruck Gets Stuck In CA Forest, Internet Explodes

The U.S. Forest Service has seized an opportunity to educate the public about off-road vehicle use on public lands after a video of a Tesla Cybertruck sliding down a snowy embankment with a Christmas tree tied to its roof went viral on social media. The Stanislaus National Forest took a cheeky approach by releasing a statement offering to collaborate with Tesla on an education campaign regarding off-road vehicle use on public lands.

“We feel there may be work to be done in educating users about our Motor Vehicle Use Maps,” said Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor, Jason Kuiken. The Forest Service believes that the incident involving the Cybertruck could have been prevented if the driver had better understood topographical features, practiced Leave No Trace principles, and was generally more prepared.

The Cybertruck mishap occurred in the Calaveras Ranger District, where the vehicle eventually had to be rescued by a Ford truck. Tesla has not responded to the partnership offer, and the request for comment to Tesla from The Times also went unanswered.

The first Cybertrucks were recently released, but were mired in production delays and design questions. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, described the Cybertruck as “the most unique thing on the road” with sports car-like handling and speed, a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, and an estimated range of 340 miles.

“We are always thrilled when new opportunities to explore our public lands become available,” said Kuiken in the Forest Service’s statement. “But we feel there may be work to be done in educating users about our Motor Vehicle Use Maps.”

The Forest Service sees an opportunity to use the Cybertruck incident to educate off-road vehicle users about important practices when exploring public lands. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Tesla will take up the offer to collaborate with the Stanislaus National Forest and the U.S. Forest Service in their education campaign.