A bronze-colored Cybercab was found on South Broad street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with its entire left door panel missing. The Reddit user who posted the images stated they did not witness the incident directly, but indicated a low-speed collision caused the damage.
On-scene images revealed the door's inner frame, window regulator, and wiring system completely exposed. The car's glass, however, remained intact. The remaining damage was minor, consisting only of a dented lower door trim and a few scratches on the wheel arch.
The incident's cause and whether the vehicle was in autonomous mode remain unclear. However, Tesla is not licensed to operate self-driving cars in Pennsylvania, which helps narrow down the car's operational status while on South Broad street.
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A Tesla self-driving car lost its door panel after a collision. Photo: Reddit |
Without a license, the damaged vehicle was most likely manually driven or operating at level hai (driver assistance), meaning a person was behind the steering wheel and legally responsible. Tesla previously fitted Cybertruck steering wheels into Cybercab test vehicles for this purpose. However, on-scene images do not clearly show whether the car was equipped with a steering wheel.
Cybercab's easily detachable plastic shell design
Tesla does not paint the Cybercab. Its exterior shell is made from polyurethane (PU plastic) using reaction injection molding (RIM) technology, combining thermoplastic components that are firmly bonded to inner plastic panels, with color directly infused into the material.
In 2025, Tesla's head of engineering Lars Moravy and design director Franz von Holzhausen explained this concept to expert Sandy Munro: the colored shell attaches to mot inner plastic panel, and the entire panel assembly is secured by screws from the inside.
Therefore, the entire door panel detaching was a deliberate design choice. With mot traditional steel-bodied car, a similar collision would dent the door, requiring mechanical workshop repairs and repainting. Theoretically, Tesla only needs to screw on mot new shell to return the car to service, though more severe damage to the lower door might complicate repairs slightly.
My Anh (via Electrek)
