Cybertruck will be the last Tesla to use stainless steel exoskeleton

[YDR37]

You are actually agreeing with me when you say the lack of a check mark indicates they have no plans to use the tech in future vehicles. But not planning to use a technology is not the same as saying they won't use that technology, they just don't have any new vehicles in the pipeline that use it.

No one is interpreting Tesla's table to mean: "Tesla will never, ever again use stainless steel body panels until the end of time". If future technological advances make stainless steel less expensive and/or easier to work with, then yes, I'm sure Tesla will reconsider its potential applications. Other auto manufacturers will do the same.

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[Oceanwolf]

My friend, I trust that you know that there’s a chasm between agnostic and what we’re seeing here.

But here’s the deal, it’s a free country he can be and do whatever he wants to. People will have opinions about that. Some people will vote with their wallets about that. We’re starting to see that show up in the numbers it will accelerate. The audience that he wants to address in this nation, outside of a few of you here, don’t want what he’s selling and never will.

His natural constituency - the ones who brung him to the dance, don’t want what he’s becoming and therefore don’t want what he’s selling either.

The good news for Tesla is that he doesn’t give a shit about either group any longer. China is Tesla’s future so in the words of the man himself - let that sink in!

I don't know why he brought a porcelain sink, a cheap thin stainless steel sink would do and would be easier to carry.

 

[YDR37]

I don't know of ANY 1/2-ton trucks rated to tow 14,000-15,000 lbs. That's a different market that is not nearly as large as the 1/2-ton market.

As recently as the 2023 model year, it was possible to configure an F-150 with a 14,000 lb. tow rating. This required the optional Heavy Duty Payload Package and/or the Max Tow Package. My neighbor has a 2023 4x4 F-150 with both packages and a tow rating of 13,800 lbs; it would be an even 14,000 lbs if he had opted for the 4x2 instead.

But it's probably true that most people with such needs opted for the F-250/F-350 instead. Ford has since discontinued or modified the necessary packages, and those numbers are not available on the F-150 for 2024 or later.

 

[igs]

No one is interpreting Tesla's table to mean: "Tesla will never, ever again use stainless steel body panels until the end of time". If future technological advances make stainless steel less expensive and/or easier to work with, then yes, I'm sure Tesla will reconsider its potential applications. Other auto manufacturers will do the same.

Let's be honest, how much did SS add to the CT? I bet it will sell just as well without it or with thinner SS. That would have saved a ton of $$$ and a ton of weight.

 

[dalton108]

Let's be honest, how much did SS add to the CT? I bet it will sell just as well without it or with thinner SS. That would have saved a ton of $$$ and a ton of weight.

I’m not sure how true any of that is, outside of the parts that are just math, though I’m not disputing it.

But, I’ll tell you this if somebody ever comes up with a carbon fiber complete skin replacement I’m doing it. I think Shaq did that, but I’m gonna need it to come down a little bit in price and not be a fully custom job. Cannot imagine the speed or range without carrying two or three refrigerators around with me.

 

[HaulingAss]

Let's be honest, how much did SS add to the CT? I bet it will sell just as well without it or with thinner SS. That would have saved a ton of $$$ and a ton of weight.

The Cybertruck is already considerably lighter than the F-150 Lightning with similar range and it has a lot more payload capacity too. Making the Cybertruck's steel thinner would require beefing up the doors with side impact crash protection and stronger castings under the skin. That stressed skin is why the Cybertruck is so strong and light and rigid.

I could never go back to a flexy-flyer truck like my F-150 that can be dented so easily in common scenarios (like door dings or building supplies in the bed) and that has thin clearcoat that brush and mud will permanently damage.

Sheesh, I can feel the whole F-150 chassis bending when driving it off-road with a heavy load.

 

[HaulingAss]

As recently as the 2023 model year, it was possible to configure an F-150 with a 14,000 lb. tow rating. This required the optional Heavy Duty Payload Package and/or the Max Tow Package. My neighbor has a 2023 4x4 F-150 with both packages and a tow rating of 13,800 lbs; it would be an even 14,000 lbs if he had opted for the 4x2 instead.

But it's probably true that most people with such needs opted for the F-250/F-350 instead. Ford has since discontinued or modified the necessary packages, and those numbers are not available on the F-150 for 2024 or later.

Ford offered that so they could claim the highest payload in the industry, almost certainly as a response to the threat posed by the Cybertruck. The fact that they don't offer it anymore shows how little demand there was for it.

 

[HaulingAss]

No one is interpreting Tesla's table to mean: "Tesla will never, ever again use stainless steel body panels until the end of time". If future technological advances make stainless steel less expensive and/or easier to work with, then yes, I'm sure Tesla will reconsider its potential applications. Other auto manufacturers will do the same.

That's how I interpret the thread title, "Cybertruck will be the last Tesla to use stainless steel exoskeleton". But if you know how to read these infographics, that's not what Tesla said, they simply said they don't have any other models planned in the pipeline that will be stainless steel.

 

[YDR37]

Let's be honest, how much did SS add to the CT? I bet it will sell just as well without it or with thinner SS. That would have saved a ton of $$$ and a ton of weight.

Ford supposedly shaved 700 pounds from the F-150 by switching from a conventional steel body to an aluminum body. Did not hurt sales.

 

[CybertruckCovers]

The tone of that article seems to invoke fear that the days of the Cybertruck are somehow numbered. They’re already discussing its retirement, and it’s not even fully out of the starting gate. The Model S has been out since 2012, virtually unchanged, and there’s little talk of its “retirement”.

 

[dalton108]

The tone of that article seems to invoke fear that the days of the Cybertruck are somehow numbered. They’re already discussing its retirement, and it’s not even fully out of the starting gate. The Model S has been out since 2012, virtually unchanged, and there’s little talk of its “retirement”.

That’s the special torquenews “je ne sais quoi.”

 

[YDR37]

Ford offered that so they could claim the highest payload in the industry, almost certainly as a response to the threat posed by the Cybertruck. The fact that they don't offer it anymore shows how little demand there was for it.

You suggest that Ford introduced heavy payload/tow packages for the ICE F-150 "as a response to the threat posed by the Cybertruck." Based on that logic, the withdrawal of those packages could simply show that Ford no longer feels threatened.

 

[skinzy]

Functionality will rule. CyberTruck has it. Best vehicle I have ever owned. I purchased as my transport to a second home in the mountains of western NC. Push a button and it drives me there. Set ride height to low through mountains and then high when I hit my gravel road with lots of ruts. Plug in when I arrive and have backup power to the house when Duke Energy fails. It fails a lot! Get lost in the music on the ride down as it's the best sound system for a truck I've ever heard. What's not to like? As to Elon's politics.....we like them in NC and TN!

 

[dalton108]

Functionality will rule. CyberTruck has it. Best vehicle I have ever owned. I purchased as my transport to a second home in the mountains of western NC. Push a button and it drives me there. Set ride height to low through mountains and then high when I hit my gravel road with lots of ruts. Plug in when I arrive and have backup power to the house when Duke Energy fails. It fails a lot! Get lost in the music on the ride down as it's the best sound system for a truck I've ever heard. What's not to like? As to Elon's politics.....we like them in NC and TN!

Born and raised in Tennessee amigo. You’re gonna have to convince somebody else that a preponderance of good old boys down there love EM enough to want a fruity looking EV truck.

I’m from that soil. I haven’t been out west that long to forget where I came from.

 

[heems]

Every one agrees the CT is an engineering marvel. So why would someone not want an engineering marvel ? You think the guy buying F-150 thought to himself “I am going to buy a subpar piece of junk”? Or “I like a bendy frame and always being scared of old ladies with shopping carts!” Of course not. They did it because - say it with me - it was the cheaper option that does the job needed. As long as we are referring to the quarterly deck let’s also point out it says affordability is the main concern. Go ahead look it up. So CT will become cheaper than other pickups. See trend of all Tesla models (vs any other manufacturer model cars in last 5 years). Heck let’s throw out total cost of ownership. It already is cheaper than many trims of F-150 that are over $78K. As that gap widens it becomes a light bulb moment for many users. Cheaper AND a manufacturing marvel? I must be dense to buy something else unless it really can’t do what I need it to do. And so far that’s like 20% of market share. “But but the design!! So angular!” Well here is the thing with design: You get used to it. I know it’s weird. But it happens. So no it is not a factor in long run.

And hey if none of that is convincing you CT is really something special remember it’s the only truck available on 2 different planets. ?

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