Tesla's Cybertruck may not be so stainless after all

AnUnusualRelic , 4 months ago

Isn't that the butler's job?

autotldr Bot , 4 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

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CEO Elon Musk first unveiled the electric pickup model back in 2019, claiming that its "ultra-hard stainless steel" body and "transparent metal" glass were "literally bulletproof."

Though beset with production issues and missing its speculative 2021-22 release, its unique polygonal design – as with anything Tesla and Musk-related – attracted legions of devotees eager to get their hands on the steering wheel.

Members pondered whether orange stains could be caused by "rail dust" from certain vehicles being delivered via train, yet Raxar posted some images of his Cybertruck's body after driving it for "2 days in rain."

In a separate thread, another user, vertigo3pc, reported that "corrosion was forming on the metal" of his brand-new Cybertruck after 11 days in the "LA rain," leading some to worry that the steel body was becoming contaminated during production.

The documentation says: "To prevent damage to the exterior, immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, etc.).

The Register asked Tesla whether it agreed with the description of Cybertruck corrosion as the "norm," and if not, what the company expected to cause the spots documented.

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nutsack , 4 months ago

same as my underwear bitch what do you think about that

MrScottyTay , 4 months ago

Didn't realise I had subscribed to a cars community

notfromhere , 4 months ago

This community has a hard on for anything remotely related to Musk, so it’s no surprise when his daughters(?) crayon drawing truck gets a ton of attention.

FartsWithAnAccent , 4 months ago

Sounds about right

Pulptastic , 4 months ago (edited 4 months ago)

Stainless is not stain proof. Different grades of stainless have different levels of rust resistance depending mostly on chrome, nickel, molybdenum, and carbon levels, but even the most resistant grade will rust under some conditions. The primary method of rust protection, what makes stainless stainless, is a continuous layer of chrome oxide on the surface. The problem is that layer is weak to chlorides like salt or bleach so exposure to such can allow rust to begin. Adding more nickel, more chrome, and more moly can help but nothing is rust proof, even extreme marine grades like 317L can rust.

Edit: the cybertruck is made using their own "30X" grade. The most common is 304 or 18/8, which has around 18% chrome and 8% nickel. 302 has less, 309 has more. I would bet it is near 304 as that is the most common austenitic (nonmagnetic) stainless steel. This grade does not have the molybdenum added to "marine stainless" grades like 316 and 317. That molybdenum provides some resistance to chlorides which is why it is used in marine applications and commercial kitchens. It is also quite a bit more expensive.