That Video Of A Sparking, Arcing, Electrified Cybertruck Body Is Not What It Seems

The Tesla Cybertruck has been plagued with problems since its launch, with seemingly every issue imaginable manifesting in the first few thousand units. Now, though, an issue no one could’ve imagined has popped up in a widely viewed video: It seems a messed-up Tesla wall charger can electrify the very skin of the Cybertruck.

Tesla’s Cybertruck Has Finally Arrived

The original video, posted on September 15, shows a Tesla Cybertruck with a highly charged exterior. Owner Braden Smith not only powered a lightbulb with leads coming from the truck’s fender, but read a whopping 120 volts from the lug nuts with a multimeter — far more than the industry standard of zero. At the time, Smith theorized that the issue came from the wiring in the garage where he charges the truck, and guessed that the main panel could be the issue.

As it turns out, the issue was the charger’s wiring, but nothing so complex. In an update the following day, Smith confirmed that his Tesla charger itself had been wired to the building’s three-phase electrical system incorrectly. Two of the wires had been swapped, meaning the charger was sending power to what should have been a ground pin.

In the automotive world, using the chassis for ground is standard practice — nearly any vehicle you’ll see uses bolts into the frame as a reliable negative connection. Following that logic, it doesn’t seem absurd that the Cybertruck’s metal skin would end up grounded too, even while connected to the charger. What’s odd here is that there seems to be no failsafe within the truck for this sort of event, nothing that shuts off power when things have clearly been connected wrong.

If you own a Cybertruck, go ahead and double-check the install on your three-phase wall charger. You don’t want to end up zapped by your shiny new truck — though a shock that keeps you out of the vehicle could actually stop something even worse from happening.