The NHTSA says that its list represents “approximately 86% of the new vehicle fleet” and includes cars like the Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler – it would not make sense to test every single car on the market, especially when many are built on identical platforms and equipped with identical safety features.
Fair enough, but how do we know that the uniquely constructed Cybertruck is safe? Well, Tesla performed its own crash testing, and it was in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. That’s enough to get it on the road legally and enough for the NHTSA to publish preliminary safety ratings.
The NHTSA has confirmed to Teslarati that there will be no official ratings until the agency tests the truck directly, but when that may be remains to be seen. According to the IIHS, official tests may never even happen; its media relations director, Joe Young, said that the agency will decide on whether to evaluate the Cybertruck’s crashworthiness after it has assessed “the level of general consumer interest in the vehicle.”