Yeah, although I don't know about puncturing the battery so much as destroying the rest of the stuff under there. The battery is armored and isn't supposed to catch fire because of its chemistry. I drive it on paved roads and really compacted dirt roads but definitely avoid potholes and sand. The Atto 3 has higher clearance but it wasn't available when I bought my car and is still RWD now AWD which is a bummer.