Cybertruck Conquers Hell's Gate on Stock Tires: How to Use Lockers

Cybertruck Conquers Hell's Gate on Stock All-Season Tires — Here's How the Locker System Works

Hell's Gate is not a beginner trail. The near-vertical rock face on Utah's Hell's Revenge route has stopped plenty of purpose-built off-roaders in their tracks. Tesla just posted a video of a stock Cybertruck walking through it like it was a speed bump — on all-season tires, no less.

▶ Watch Video on X

The clip is short, but the message is clear: the locker system is the difference-maker. With lockers engaged, the truck maintains traction even when wheels are lifted off the surface — exactly the scenario Hell's Gate presents. And the fact that this was accomplished on stock Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-season tires (not the optional all-terrain Goodyears) makes it even more significant for everyday owners.

📊 What the Locker System Actually Does

Feature	Dual-Motor	Cyberbeast (Tri-Motor)
Front Locker	✅ Mechanical	✅ Mechanical
Rear Locker	✅ Mechanical	Virtual (auto-engages)
Manual Control	Yes — via touchscreen	Front only; rear is automatic
Off-Road Modes	Overland, Baja, Wade, Trail Assist	Overland, Baja, Wade, Trail Assist
Stock Tire Options	20" Pirelli Scorpion ATR (All-Season) or 20" Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT (All-Terrain)	20" Pirelli Scorpion ATR (All-Season) or 20" Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT (All-Terrain)

One important nuance: Cyberbeast owners get a virtual rear locker rather than a mechanical one. It engages automatically based on drive mode and speed — you can't toggle it manually. Dual-motor owners actually have more direct control, with both front and rear mechanical lockers fully user-selectable from the touchscreen.

Cybertruck Lead Engineer Wes Morrill has noted publicly that the tri-motor Cyberbeast makes off-roading feel like "easy mode," but also confirmed that dual-motor trucks completed the Hell's Gate climb too — and that it's doable even without lockers if you have the skill. With lockers, it's accessible to far more drivers.

🚦 Owner's Action Plan

Verdict: Informational — No update required. This capability is already in your truck. But if you've never activated Off-Road Mode or your lockers, now is the time to learn.

1. Confirm your software is current. Locker functionality was enabled via a software update that began rolling out in April 2024. Go to Controls → Software and make sure you're on the latest version. If you're unsure whether your lockers are active, check Controls → Off-Road — if the Off-Road Mode card appears, you're good.
2. Find Off-Road Mode on your touchscreen. Tap Controls, then look for the Off-Road card. From here you can select sub-modes: Overland (general trail use), Baja (high-speed dirt), Wade Mode (water crossings), and Trail Assist (low-speed crawling with automatic brake modulation).
3. Engage your lockers manually (Dual-Motor owners). Inside Off-Road Mode, you'll see locker controls for front and rear. Engage them before you need them — not mid-obstacle. Lockers work best at low speeds; don't engage on pavement.
4. Cyberbeast owners: trust the system. Your rear virtual locker engages automatically when the truck determines it's needed. Focus on selecting the right sub-mode for your terrain and let the truck handle rear traction management.
5. Don't swap tires just for off-road use. As this video confirms, the stock Pirelli all-seasons are capable on serious terrain with lockers engaged. If you're doing regular trail runs, the optional Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT all-terrains offer more grip — but they're not a prerequisite for capable off-roading.
6. Practice on moderate terrain first. Hell's Gate is an expert-level obstacle. If you're new to the locker system, start on a moderate trail to understand how the truck behaves with lockers engaged before attempting technical rock crawling.

📰 Deep Dive

What makes this video notable isn't just the feat itself — it's who posted it. This came from the official @cybertruck account, which means Tesla is actively using real-world trail performance as a marketing statement. The message is deliberate: you don't need aftermarket upgrades to access serious off-road capability. The hardware is already there.

The locker system's history is worth understanding. Early Cybertruck deliveries in late 2023 shipped with the locker hardware installed but the feature disabled, listed as "coming soon." Tesla activated it via OTA update in April 2024, bundled with the broader Off-Road Mode rollout. That update transformed the Cybertruck from a capable truck into a genuinely competitive trail vehicle — and many owners still haven't fully explored what it unlocked.

The all-season tire point is equally important context. The Pirelli Scorpion ATR fitted as standard is a Hard Metric design — it's not a dedicated mud tire, but it has enough sidewall and tread structure to handle rocky terrain when the truck's traction systems are working correctly. With both front and rear lockers engaged on the dual-motor, wheel spin becomes largely irrelevant; torque is distributed to wherever grip exists. That's the engineering insight this video is demonstrating, not just a flex.

For owners who bought a Cybertruck primarily as a daily driver, this is a useful reminder that the off-road capability is sitting dormant in your vehicle right now. Whether you ever use it on a trail or not, understanding the locker system — how to engage it, when to use each sub-mode, and what the truck is actually doing mechanically — makes you a more informed owner. And if you do decide to take it off-road, you're starting from a much stronger baseline than most people realize.

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Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.