this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
141 points (89.8% liked)

Technology

70995 readers
3203 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

top 39 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] captainastronaut@seattlelunarsociety.org 86 points 1 year ago (4 children)

“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. 

[–] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 19 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] podperson@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So uhhh, you gonna want that clear coat?

Throw in the floor mats and you got a deal

[–] AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

That's early access selling DLC.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

How much would it cost to just get it clear coated? Seems it would be minimal prep required.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 60 points 1 year ago (2 children)

“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.

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Do NOT taunt super happy-fun ball. It has cameras and will hold a grudge.

[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 39 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

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.

[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 18 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 4 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] sploosh@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does marine grade stainless rust in the rain?

[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Someone just needs to XRF a panel

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 year ago

Even if you don’t have one an XRF gun, you can just visit a local junkyard and ask the owner to use theirs.

[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 1 points 1 year ago

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.

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 33 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] Khanzarate@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

That'd be a great Halloween vibe. Bit pricy for my Halloween budget though.

[–] fidodo@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You mean like in ps1 twisted metal?

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

PS1 Twisted Metal 2?

[–] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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?

[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

It’s hard being a misunderstood genius. Especially if the part that’s misunderstood is that you possess virtually no genius.

[–] thantik@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I mean, the delorean was made out of stainless steel. It has been done in the past successfully.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMC_DeLorean

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So, you're saying Elon needs more cocaine?

[–] thantik@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Honestly, they could also galvanically protect the stainless surface with a sacrificial anode.

[–] jonne 1 points 1 year ago

Can't hurt to try.

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

This Wired article is full of bullshit excuses. It rusts because it’s a lousy design that uses low quality “stainless” steel.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

lol this piece of shit is turning into endless entertainment.

[–] n3cr0@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Do you folks wash your cars with concentrated acid?

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Road salt is a thing.