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This Is Why Tesla’s Stainless Steel Cybertrucks May Be Rusting::Who knew stainless steel might not be such a good idea for the exterior of an electric SUV? The entire automotive industry, that’s who.
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“The Cybertruck does not ship with clear coat, that outermost layer of transparent paint that comes as standard on almost every new motor vehicle on the planet. Instead, each Cybertruck owner has the option to purchase a $5,000 urethane-based film to “wrap your Cybertruck in our premium satin clear paint films. Only available through Tesla.””
That’s bullshit from Tesla, because they definitely don’t have special PPF that isn’t available aftermarket. They certainly have not invented a vinyl film. That’s not an unreasonable price for a PPF job of an entire vehicle, but PPF isn’t suitable for every part of a car. The fact that the paint has no clearcoat at all should not be addressed by charging the customer extra. 
Worth mentioning they offer PPF on all their vehicles. It’s not a cyber truck exclusive money grab. Though the lack of a clear coat is a questionable choice for sure.
So uhhh, you gonna want that clear coat?
That’s early access selling DLC.
How much would it cost to just get it clear coated? Seems it would be minimal prep required.
“Do not wash in direct sunlight,” “Some cleaners and car shampoos contain chemicals that can cause damage or discoloration,” and even “Do not use hot water.”
So it’s a very expensive happy-fun ball.
Do NOT taunt super happy-fun ball. It has cameras and will hold a grudge.
How do you know a commenter is over 40? This one right here.
The important part is that I had an onion on my belt.
Was that the style at the time?
DeLorean is 304 Stainless. Cyber truck is 30? stainless. As in Tesla doesn’t want to say, which is why they write it “30X”.
given how hard the steel is purported to be, it’s likely a variant of 304N, instead of 304 or 304L. (basic stainless like in commercial kitchen equipment and 18/10 stainless, like in high end cooking pans). 304N is harder to work with cold due to it’s hardness and gets harder when worked, both properties Tesla has reported as belonging to the cybertruck’s steel. 304N is considered a marine grade stainless steel.
There have been a lot of developments in stainless steel production in the 40ish years since the DeLorean came out, so I highly doubt it’s the same steel.
304N is not marine grade. It is 304 with a little extra nitrogen for hardness.
Marine grade steels have molybdenum for chloride resistance like 316L.
I was going to say that. 304 is the cheap “marine grade” sold at the hardware store that will rust. 316 is sold at the Chandelry and won’t rust.
To put it another way, 304 is freshwater stainless, 316 is ocean grade.
in that fanboy forum linked elsewhere earlier they confirmed it’s a cheaper steel. My mind says 302 but that’s based on not much.
Maybe, and likely, given all the other cuts they made, but as far as I know it’s not actually known, which is frustrating. That said the article calls it an SUV and isn’t exactly riddles with facts, so.
The pictures from the cybertruckowners forum show something on the surface causing discoloration, like road grime or dust disintegrating in the rain, not like rust forming on metal. I’ve restored a few rusty stainless kitchen knives in my day, absolutely abused ones, and even cheap stainless doesn’t rust like that, that fast. I’d expect rust pin spots that bad on a chipped paint job over mild steel, on stainless that’s had iron embedded in it (like from scrubbing a sink with steel wool, or on chemically altered steel (like filling a stainless sink with bleach and putting an iron pan in the same sink for a while).
All we need is somebody to drive by a pressure vessel fabrication shop and get the panels zapped by a PMI gun. We’d know instantly.
There have been a lot of developments in stainless steel production in the 40ish years since the DeLorean came out, so I highly doubt it’s the same steel.
Which makes the fact that DeLorean managed to get it right but Tesla couldn’t all the more embarrassing.
That’s what I’m trying to get across, it’s very unlikely Tesla got it wrong. Bare stainless will eventually rust, but not in a few days of freshwater rain, sheesh.
300 are all austenitic*, they could have been heating it or either working it too much and sensitized it, both lowering its strength and its corrosion resistance
Heh, even more reason to never buy version 1. I doubt they’re doing anything but pulling steel off a roll, cutting it, stamping it, and spot welding a reinforcing piece to the back.
Does marine grade stainless rust in the rain?
Eventually, yes. Especially around salt. Not in 2 days though. Maybe take the trash click bait article with some of that salt.
I’d love to see someone sacrifice a body panel and do a 3.5% salt solution test like knifenerd does.
Someone just needs to XRF a panel
Yes!
Even if you don’t have one an XRF gun, you can just visit a local junkyard and ask the owner to use theirs.
I imagine rusty cybertrucks are going to look very sci-fi post apocalyptic, and if they really rust this fast this will not even require an apocalypse
That’d be a great Halloween vibe. Bit pricy for my Halloween budget though.
You mean like in ps1 twisted metal?
Not really, that one looks a bit too shiny. Not sure what kind of mental image I have, probably some dystopian movies about the far future made in the 2000s
PS1 Twisted Metal 2?
The Cybertruck manual includes some startling care instructions for those who have bought the SUV, including when washing it is advised not to use hot water or clean the electric truck in direct sunlight.
It’s a Gremlin and a vampire!
Most manuals say this, it’s not exclusive to the cyber truck.
Wait, they’re made of stainless fucking steel? That’s so stupid it’s beyond words, why not just paint the damn things to look like stainless steel?
I think the original idea was the stainless steel would provide a rigid exoskeleton so the vehicle could save weight/space on internal structural support, but in the end they still needed similar internal structural supports so the insistence to retain the uselessly heavy/expensive steel panels was probably one of Elon’s classic strokes of genius.
It’s hard being a misunderstood genius. Especially if the part that’s misunderstood is that you possess virtually no genius.
I mean, the delorean was made out of stainless steel. It has been done in the past successfully.
So, you’re saying Elon needs more cocaine?
Honestly, they could also galvanically protect the stainless surface with a sacrificial anode.
Can’t hurt to try.
This Wired article is full of bullshit excuses. It rusts because it’s a lousy design that uses low quality “stainless” steel.
lol this piece of shit is turning into endless entertainment.
Do you folks wash your cars with concentrated acid?
Road salt is a thing.
Salt.
