Cybertruck Body Prototype Casting spied uncovered!! 😲

[HaulingAss]

Right. Sadly, I was referring to exoskeleton front and rear parts and only later realized that there is no exoskeleton at all in these photographs.

Wrong. The entire structure of the truck is exoskeleton which is just another way of saying "unibody". What sets it apart is most unibody vehicles are not as heavy-duty as this.

This is likely a test rig to measure deflection of the subframe without the skin attached. By applying specific loads to specific points, and measuring deflection, they can calculate how much load the stainless-steel skin will be taking and adjust the castings and stampings to suit.

The white paint is likely to assist optical sensors and or cameras that record the deflection. It's a just a tool for fine-tuning the stiffness of the structure and it's a work in progress.

Sponsored

 

[HaulingAss]

There also seems to be a large opening through the front firewall in the cabin. Will that be where you can stow the middle front seat, or will it be slide out storage, or both? But what is clear is just how much volume there is in front of the cabin, so I hope we are getting a grill lift frunk hood and a huge frunk!

There will be no lifting grill because the grill area is structural. The frunk will be a useful space but it will not be huge like the Lightning. I would rather have forward visibility for aerodynamics and off-roading anyway. If you've ever taken a regular pickup off-road you would understand why!

 

[HaulingAss]

So much for the idea there will be “No paint”

It almost looks like 2 gigacastings in the rear one on each side. A lot different from what I expected and very much nixes the sail pillar storage.

This is obviously not an actual Cybertruck (nor will it be built into one). It's a test jig of some sort, either for doing structural load testing or for helping to construct the production line.

 

[Ogre]

Dont forget the CT comes with an air compressor in the back to use like an electric leaf blower. 30 seconds or less to blow that crap out of the bed.

Just a bit pick. Air compressors make terrible leaf blowers. Compressors take a small amount of air and pressurize it. Leave blowers take a huge amount of air and move it.

 

[Sirfun]

don’t take this the wrong way but have you used an air compressor before? I have a twin arb and a huge portable York compressor I use regularly off road and neither one would be useful as a leaf blower replacement. The huge units with tanks we have in the shop still wouldn’t replace a leaf blower.

I'm a retired sheet metal worker, yes even though OSHA advises against using compressed air for cleaning clothing, I even used to do that. We had air tools with hoses all over the shops, and we would use it to blow debris off equipment all the time. Here's a video of a car detailing company using a mobile compressor to clean cars.

 

[Ogre]

The entire structure of the truck is exoskeleton which is just another way of saying "unibody".

Fundamentally the difference between exoskeleton and unibody seems to be the fact that with the exoskeleton, the skin contributes significantly to the structure. With unibody, the skin is entirely optional.

While the Cybertruck is going to have a unibody, big pieces of the skin will be part of the structure as well.

This is obviously not an actual Cybertruck (nor will it be built into one). It's a test jig of some sort, either for doing structural load testing or for helping to construct the production line.

Agree, does not seem to be a Cybertruck. Though perhaps some parts of it are going to be used in final, but likely not the whole thing. Also possible some parts were made as sections of a large casting and will be separated manually later.

they don’t have the big GP which means there are certain to be steps in the process which will be different.

 

[Ogre]

I'm a retired sheet metal worker, yes even though OSHA advises against using compressed air for cleaning clothing, I even used to do that. We had air tools with hoses all over the shops, and we would use it to blow debris off equipment all the time. Here's a video of a car detailing company using a mobile compressor to clean cars.

Yes. Fantastic for moving small amounts of air.

Shitty for moving large volumes of air to remove leaves from your yard.

 

[Dids]

Does anyone know what this machine does?

There is a power cord and what looks like compressed air? Maybe spot sand blast?

 

[Sirfun]

Yes. Fantastic for moving small amounts of air.

Shitty for moving large volumes of air to remove leaves from your yard.

Oh brother!! We were talking about keeping the bed of the CT clean. I mentioned the CT has a built in compressor that COULD be used. It also has built in electric outlets that you could plug in your damned leaf blower into to remove leafs from your yard!!!!! (Sarcasm being used generously here)

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

It's not about the dirt per say; it's about the dirt, dust, pea gravel, decomposed granite, leftover mulch pieces, dead animal hair, etc blowing around inside the cabin when the midgate is open.



Yes the answer would be to always clean your bed thoroughly. I can only speak for myself but I can tell you that does not happen and won't happen. I keep a pretty clean truck on the inside. But I might sweep the bed once a year. I have never power sprayed the inside of it to really clean it out. That would have to be done often to keep the crap from flying around if a midgate was open and the bed was not covered.

I'm not necessarily opposed to the midgate, (though I don't think it's going to be part of the production...at least not in the initial versions) because in theory, I think it's pretty cool. But I do see it causing more problems and complications and costs... and I don't think I would use it because I don't currently have a reason to use it.

I could see using it as an extended 'bedroom' and as an access method for the dog, but otherwise not. I definitely see the possibility of the stuff I might carry in the bed getting into the cab and I don't like that idea at all. It is already difficult enough to clean the bed after carrying rocks, dirt, etc.

 

[Ogre]

Oh brother!! We were talking about keeping the bed of the CT clean. I mentioned the CT has a built in compressor that COULD be used. It also has built in electric outlets that you could plug in your damned leaf blower into to remove leafs from your yard!!!!! (Sarcasm being used generously here)

YOU said “like an electric leaf blower”.

If you didn’t mean that, then you shouldn’t have said that. Or just… not argued when people said a compressor isn’t a blower.


You BLEW this all out of proportion when you should have compressed it into a simple “Oops, I shouldn’t have said blower!”

 

[RVAC]

This is obviously not an actual Cybertruck (nor will it be built into one). It's a test jig of some sort, either for doing structural load testing or for helping to construct the production line.

Considering that in the Q3 call they talked about Elon getting the first beta CT shortly I would say there is a good chance this is it.

Fundamentally the difference between exoskeleton and unibody seems to be the fact that with the exoskeleton, the skin contributes significantly to the structure. With unibody, the skin is entirely optional.

While the Cybertruck is going to have a unibody, big pieces of the skin will be part of the structure as well.

Well put.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Why are you so certain it's Giga Texas?
It looks like an older facility to me, what with the tape worn off the seam in the concrete floor and other signs of wear and tear. Also, as I learned from Joe Tegtmeyer, there should be location labels on the pillars, so we'd know exactly where in the Gigafactory we were looking at.
Sorry if it seems like I'm jumping on all your thoughts... I don't mean anything negative towards you. I'm just adding my thoughts.

Damned photographer was pretty insensitive to not take pics of the column labels

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

It has a very swooping back and is curved around the doors anyway. I get aero but idk… just audacious

The one in the Petersen had bends but no curves.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Wrong. The entire structure of the truck is exoskeleton which is just another way of saying "unibody". What sets it apart is most unibody vehicles are not as heavy-duty as this.

This is likely a test rig to measure deflection of the subframe without the skin attached. By applying specific loads to specific points, and measuring deflection, they can calculate how much load the stainless-steel skin will be taking and adjust the castings and stampings to suit.

The white paint is likely to assist optical sensors and or cameras that record the deflection. It's a just a tool for fine-tuning the stiffness of the structure and it's a work in progress.

I am not wrong. There is clearly no SS exoskeleton in this pic.

Sponsored