Cybertruck will be the last Tesla to use stainless steel exoskeleton

[WormtownKris]

Of course not. When I read the slide deck my conclusion was that Tesla was not ruling out using stainless steel going forward, they were simply indicating none of their planned lineup would be using it. And it's not hard to figure out why, it's a very premium, very expensive material with all the chromium and nickel in it (more than your kitchen appliances). Not to mention that it's not your typical soft annealed stainless steel, it's incredibly difficult to work it once it's in the full hard state.

But Tesla has not ruled out new models in the future that use it, they have just indicated none of their planned models are designed around it. This means if there were to be more Tesla vehicles using cold-rolled full hard stainless steel they would not hit the market for at least 5-7 years, if ever.

I, for one, am super glad that Elon went out on this particular limb and brought us the best truck humanity could mass-produce, even if it is above most mortals budgets.

Exactly. This is a FUD-dy source taking quite a leap from that one chart. Not even 5- 7 years. I'd say that only refers to the new models in the immediate pipeline. In other words, one/some of the referenced upcoming vehicles would have steer by wire but not the SS exo. Not that this was labeled a one and done fail.
Additionally, they are wary of the Osbourne effect. They seem to be launching a new economical vehicle in 1H2025, but we've seen zero info about it. Because many people would wait on their Tesla purchase until the new vehicle arrives. So, they probably won't reveal the "Model 2" or whatever until it is already in preproduction, similar to the Juniper/ Highland refreshes.
They could be close to giving the go ahead to a CyberVan, or CyBurban, or CyBronco, but they want to move as many S3XY/CTs as they can. If word got out that they're doing a second SS Cyber vehicle in late '26, that would nerf some sales. (There are dozens just in this forum that would hold off for a Cyber Van).
I feel strongly that that was a poor take by TorqueNews, and I expect nothing less from them.

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[YDR37]

No one is interpreting Tesla's table to mean: "Tesla will never, ever again use stainless steel body panels until the end of time".

I guess you could make a case that torquenews did, in fact, present Tesla's table that way.

I feel strongly that that was a poor take by TorqueNews, and I expect nothing less from them.

Yeah, I should have been more specific. I meant: No one on this forum is interpreting Tesla's table to mean: "Tesla will never, ever again use stainless steel body panels until the end of time".

 

[GuyV]

Almost all market predictions and trendsetting is pretty much reading tea-leaves lol. South Park had a great episode on the subject.

Yep, the boilerplate in the earnings and shareholder meetings makes that clear regarding Musk's "forward-looking statements", but the reality is that the share price 90% depends upon them, and that they have pretty much been 90% wrong.

Occasionally though, he slips up and makes promises he can be held accountable for and cost a whole lot of real money, not just market cap.

 

[dalton108]

?!

 

[Crissa]

No, it was the same Tesla that predicted continuing 50% increases that didn't happen, as well as FSD year after year, that is predicting that enormous wave of sales expansions. Tesla is capable of having a solid successful future in the EV business, but as always, it is not going to live up to Elon's hype. The only question is how long can his hype keep the stock bubble inflated?

When will he run out of new fantastical notions to make us forget how far he has missed previous goals? A couple million EV sales per year is a great accomplishment, but you forget he was predicting 20 million.

If Tesla continued lowering prices as they lowered costs, we'd be seeing that 50% growth continue.

But they haven't.

Musk's personality issues aren't helping, either.

Ford didn't predict 50% YOY growth. Ford didn't predict AI and robots are the future of the company.

This is false.

Ford did predict their Lightning production would increase 50% yoy and then never made any of the benchmarks they set. Just like Tesla - and perhaps moreso, since their per unit cost is higher - they found it difficult to bring down prices.

Which only encourages Tesla to keep their prices higher.

Which limits sales growth.

-Crissa

 

[SCTesla]

If Tesla continued lowering prices as they lowered costs, we'd be seeing that 50% growth continue.

But they haven't.

Musk's personality issues aren't helping, either.

-Crissa

They are...They have been dramatically lowering pricing as they've lowed cost. That's why margins are so low (comparatively).

 

[Crissa]

They are...They have been dramatically lowering pricing as they've lowed cost. That's why margins are so low (comparatively).

Citation needed.

As far as I can see, prices haven't budged in two years now. Tiny changes at best.

https://briankehm.com/tesla-model-3-price-history/

-Crissa

 

[GuyV]

I was too busy making jokes at @CyberGus expense to remember to engage with the actual comment. Yeah I think he’s wrong on this. It’s not just stainless steel it’s HFS and Tesla absolutely said that there’s no way they could put curve in it and that’s why they had to spend all that money on air bending equipment just to fold it enough to get the truck made.

Not all benefits of stainless steel have to be lost in using thinner and easier to work with variations. They already compromised on its original structural importance. They can certainly achieve any appearance and weathering advantages, and even a measure of structural and durability depending upon how much how much they choose to modify thickness and process.

They've mastered the art of using it at its most difficult and now have that in their toolbox, and have learned a lot about how it can be utilized. There is also more stainless steel in the Cybertruck than just the exterior panels.

 

[GuyV]

Good points on both sides, but I'm not sold yet on idea that politics are a significant motivator of purchasing a truck since the CT speaks on its own engineering merits. I have actually spent the last several months rural TN, and there are a ton of questions from everyone. Haven't met anyone yet that wasn't blown away.

And I'm not the only one driving this truck in the area either.

Politics are a significant motivator in purchasing an EV.

 

[DJAlan2000]

While the SS is eye catching, most people have wrapped their CTs anyway.

Hmmm... I disagree...

I see MOSTLY stainless steel ones on the road... I would say probably about 60-70%...

We were going to get ours wrapped, but so far we've decided it's fine the way it is... MIGHT get some PPF for the front end just to make it easier to clean up the bugs, but it will be either clear or black...

 

[HaulingAss]

They are...They have been dramatically lowering pricing as they've lowed cost. That's why margins are so low (comparatively).

Tesla has strong margins compared to all the legacy auto makers. It's amazing really, how efficiently they are able to make world class cars.

And I don't see the fact that their future is in humanoid robots, energy storage and robotaxi takes away from this accomplishment, especially considering their EV production will continue to expand strongly over the next several years.

What I see here is a lot of people that seem butt-hurt that TSLA stock is doing so well. Maybe they lost their shirts short-selling it thinking it would certainly come down (because they seem to believe that with all their soul). Guess what, the stock is doing well because people with millions of dollars to invest can see that it's been a great investment over the last 6 years and it will likely continue to be a good long-term investment with the natural demand for battery energy storage, humanoid robots and robotaxis.

People with no vision just sit on their hands and complain that TSLA is over-valued, much as they did with MSFT in the 1990's. Now MSFT is worth almost a thousand times as much! Imagine if you could have a million dollars today for every $1200 invested then! That is exactly what happened because investors like myself had the foresight to see that Microsoft had a much better future than most investors were crediting it with.

I've been investing for decades, and I see a lot of crybabies out there who don't know how to recognize true value when they see it. They are always looking in the rearview mirror and trying to value companies based upon earnings that have already happened. Smart investors base valuation on the likelihood of future earnings. And they don't look just one quarter or one year into the future, they look 5-10 years. Because the best companies to invest in are perpetually "over-valued" when valuing based upon past earnings (or even the next years earnings).

That's how MSFT was in the 1990's and only the people who looked past the short-sighted analysts' valuations and bought anyway were able to turn $100,000 into $80 million dollars. And that doesn't include the dividends that have risen to twice what the stock actually cost back then, every single quarter. Each year that's eight times the original investment, just in dividends!

So I just have to laugh at the know-nothings that constantly complain TSLA is over-valued. They had their chance to buy at only $120/share just two years ago but they didn't, probably because analysts were telling them that Tesla was a has been, that they didn't know how to make cars, that a bunch of better EVs from legacy makers were on the horizon, that Elon didn't know how to run a company, etc. etc. etc. Now TSLA is over 3 times that much and the same analysts are still telling us the company is over-valued. Never listen to 'professional' stock analysts. Most of them are dumb, dumb, dumb. They are generally not even allowed to invest in the companies they cover, so they hope they will not appreciate 100 fold!

Check back with me in 2030 and tell me what you bought that performed better! Some people are too short-sighted to see the tip of their own nose.

 

[HaulingAss]

Politics are a significant motivator in purchasing an EV.

Only for dumb-dumbs. An EV is for transportation, not for voting. You want the nicest one you can get for your money.

 

[dalton108]

Politics are a significant motivator in purchasing an EV.

That and self image. And what I’m saying about Tennessee is less about politics than identity.

Doesn’t matter that it was made in Texas just so you know, people in the “real south” don’t think Texas is in it! ‘Cause its not! We wear trucker hats in the real South, not cowboy hats. Don’t even open your mouth to say in Nashville! Rhinestone cowboy posers and performers!

You’ll get teased mercilessly for wearing the wrong clothes let alone driving some newfangled “bullshit” electric car.

Such as: “Where you goin’ in them fancy britchy-pants?” Just about anything that’s not Levi’s or Lee’s.

There’s a self-reinforcing crabs-in-a-barrel mentality down there and it’s not going any fucking where. EVER!

You can leave, but you can’t change Tennessee, not that much! Anybody who thinks so has never lived there and does not know these people.

Zero people have forgotten that this guy came from California via South Africa and was a liberal until the newly converted to MAGAism.

The first hurdle is going to be economic, the second is going to be mental. The money’s gonna be tough, the mentality is a non-starter.

Of course there are a few outliers, they’re always are. I am one. My intent here is not to dunk on the south; it’s just to proclaim that this is some fucking magical thinking that they’re gonna take up the slack from California or elsewhere where these sales would normally be coming from.

 

[igs]

Only for dumb-dumbs. An EV is for transportation, not for voting. You want the nicest one you can get for your money.

Your money is your most powerful vote.

 

[HaulingAss]

Your money is your most powerful vote.

Yes, but it's a vote for the car you buy, not for any political candidate.

And guess who is winning that vote? Yep, the Tesla Model Y, the most purchased car in the world for two years in a row!

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