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Tesla just announced this major update after safety concerns were raised for the new Cybertruck.
Since the trucks were first released to customers in November 2023, there have been numerous improvements which include the installation of off-roading features and an accelerator fix.
There are many cool features that Elon Musk’s latest car model has, with one being the frunk - a front trunk.
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As all models are electric, there’s extra space under the hood where an engine would normally go, making room for an extra trunk.
But safety concerns were aired for the Cybertruck when users tested out its automatic closing to see if it would pinch their fingers if they were left in the way.
One owner documented his test, holding out a carrot in the way of the closing door. Posting the video to X (formerly Twitter), viewers were shocked to see the carrot snap in half under the weight of the trunk.
While a carrot isn’t quite the same as human fingers, this experiment sparked fear for Cybertruck owners over how safe the cars really are.
The latest Tesla Cybertruck update is supposed to make the frunk safer.
— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) May 2, 2024
According to the release notes:
"The powered frunk can better detect obstructions just before it finishes closing."
While it does a great job at preventing damage to your banana, it did not seem to detect… pic.twitter.com/VES1pYi23L
One X user replied to the video, saying: “Recall incoming. That wouldn’t pass German safety tests.”
Another concerned commenter wrote: “We must be careful with children.”
Meanwhile someone joked: “Looks like the Cybertruck is hungry.”
Cybertruck’s lead engineer, Wes Morill, wrote on X: “Frunk pinch detection is a learning algorithm which will increase the closing force each time it’s cycled back to back without successfully latching.
“Imagine there is a big bag inside the frunk it might also trigger the pinch detection. Then you might try closing it again, and again… exactly as you are doing in this video. The algorithm assumes that if you are repeatedly trying to close the frunk it’s because you, as the human in loop know better and believe it should close.”
Perhaps unaware of the trunk’s algorithm, one Cybertruck owner, Jeremy Judkins, tested the updated frunk system on his finger only to find that the door still traps some objects in the way.
On X, Judkins said: “The latest Tesla Cybertruck update is supposed to make the frunk safer.
“While it does a great job at preventing damage to your banana, it did not seem to detect a single finger very well.
“It’s fun to play around and stick various fruits and vegetables in the Cybertruck frunk, but the real world benefit was supposed to be increased safety.
“I have no clue what it would have done to my finger pre-update, but I hope that the Cybertruck engineers can use this video and make further tweaks to improve safety.”
The software updates continue to improve Tesla’s efficiency and safety but there are still other concerns about the futuristic trucks.
Shattered glass has been a problem for some users while one owner found that their car got stuck on a steep hill while off-roading.
Time will tell if the updates will improve the vehicles.
