Video allegedly taken by enthusiasts has been shared online showing a Tesla Cybertruck that appears to be drifting on ice as part of its testing in New Zealand at the normally sealed-off Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG) on the South Island.
In clips shared by the Twitter account CybertruckNZ, that focuses on the Tesla Cybertruck in the country, a camouflaged vehicle and another that is more neutral-colored could be seen driving along snow-covered roads in the mountains.
On its website, the SHPG says that confidentiality is a key part of its values and that the grounds are closed off to the public. According to a report on the Teslarati website, enthusiasts managed to capture the footage which was then shared online.
New Zealand is experiencing its winter season as are other countries located in the southern hemisphere.
The vehicles seen in the clips performed several maneuvers on snow-covered tracks during testing.
In another clip, the camouflaged Cybertruck could be seen drifting on a sheet of ice and slowly moving from side to side.
The Cybertruck did appear to be stable on the ice and the driver did not appear to have experienced any significant challenge in the clips seen by Newsweek.
And afterwards playing on the ice (with a tiny drift session 😅) pic.twitter.com/ybOMV5sUVQ
— CybertruckNZ (@CybertruckNZ) July 7, 2023
According to Tesla, the Cybertruck has a "powerful drivetrain" and low center of gravity that "provides extraordinary traction control and torque," which it says enables it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and give it up to 500 miles of range.
The Cybertruck has a unique design and is built with an exterior shell that Tesla claims is made for "ultimate durability and passenger protection."
It added that production of the Cybertruck is expected to start in the coming months and that the test drives are to see if it can handle all types of terrain.
The camouflaged CT at SHPG playing in the snow. pic.twitter.com/A3dwtLVltp
— CybertruckNZ (@CybertruckNZ) July 7, 2023
The SHPG is an automotive proving ground that offers winter testing for vehicles between June and September. There are a number of methods and tracks that are available for companies and drivers to evaluate their vehicles.
These include snow flats, ice flats, handling tracks, hill gradients as well as snow and ice circles.
Newsweek has contacted Tesla for comment.
Tesla appears to be moving on from its position in 2022 when the company said there would be no new models and that the Cybertruck would be delayed that year.
The company took the decision after being affected by a computer chip shortage that also impacted other vehicle manufacturers.
The chips, also called semiconductors, are widely used in electronic devices and are necessary for making many vehicles run.
