The hood of a Tesla Cybertruck can still crush your fingers after a software update that should have prevented it - a company engineer's explanation

After several reports that the force of the Cybertruck hood closing may need adjustment for better detection of obstructing objects, Tesla released a software update to address this issue. But owner reviews indicate that the feature supposedly is not working properly again. Are they right?

Previously, the Cybertruck hood could trap fingers if held in the right place during closing. A recent review of Cybertruck Basecamp accessories by Top Gear demonstrated how the Cybertruck mechanism works after the new update. In the so-called banana test, the hood detected the object and immediately bounced back.

However, people started testing the mechanism with multiple attempts using carrots, bananas, and fingers. In these tests, the Cybertruck behaved almost the same as before the update: it crushed a finger, smashed a banana, and sliced a carrot. The lead Cybertruck engineer had to intervene and explain why the hood was behaving this way.

“The pinch detection is a learning algorithm, it will increase the closing force every time it returns without successfully closing. ... The algorithm assumes that if you repeatedly try to close the hood - it's because you, as a person, know better and believe it should close,” says Wes Morrill.

Ever since I was told the Tesla Cybertruck had an ALGORITHM for the automatic frunk, I have been super intrigued.

It will apply increased closing force after every failed attempt. This means if you close you finger in it once, it shouldn't hurt TOO bad, but try it 5 times in a… pic.twitter.com/uSax1zpdtn

— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) May 3, 2024

Knowing this feature can prevent sudden trapping. However, it's not very intuitive, and it's not surprising that someone might not realize the effect of multiple attempts in a row.