Cybertruck Ballistic Glass Test Reveals What the Windows Can Really Withstand

Autoblog reports on a live-fire test of aftermarket ballistic glass on a Tesla Cybertruck, showing how armored upgrades differ from standard factory windows.

The experiment many people had been waiting for has finally happened: someone actually fired real guns at the windows of a Tesla Cybertruck. The key detail, however, is that the target was not Tesla’s factory glass. The truck was fitted with aftermarket ballistic windows from Armored CyberGlass, replacing the original side glass entirely.

The test was organized by members of Tesla Owners Silicon Valley and carried out at Taran Tactical’s private shooting range in California. Alongside professional shooters and firearms enthusiasts, Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen was present, giving the event an added layer of symbolism after the infamous 2019 Cybertruck launch, when Tesla’s “Armor Glass” famously cracked on stage.

For the test, the standard Cybertruck windows were removed and replaced with Armored CyberGlass panels. These windows are marketed as ballistic and are rated to NIJ Level IIIA, a certification designed to stop most common handgun rounds, including 9 mm. The shooters worked their way up through different firearms, eventually firing high-powered rifles and even a .50 BMG round from a Barrett M82. The glass showed heavy damage—cratering and spider-web cracking—but stayed in the frame and, crucially, remained operable after the shooting.

What the video does not change is the underlying reality: a standard Tesla Cybertruck does not come with bulletproof glass. Tesla itself avoids describing the vehicle’s windows as ballistic, focusing instead on overall structural strength and strong crash-test performance. True ballistic protection, as shown in this test, only comes through expensive aftermarket upgrades that can cost well into five-figure territory.

The shooting test highlights the ongoing tension between the Cybertruck’s tank-like image and its real-world specifications. Armored CyberGlass reinforces the vehicle’s tough, almost mythic reputation, while also making it clear where the line is drawn between a production pickup and a specialized, armored build. Interest in such upgrades is likely to grow, but they remain a niche solution rather than a feature the average Cybertruck buyer should expect.