4 ms·

Why would anyone want a "stainless steel" pickup truck?

weevil 3y ago
Of all the questionable things Musk has done in the last few years, trying to sell a stainless steel electric truck doesn't even make the top 25.
ngngngng 3y ago
Big steel truck look fun
iancmceachern 3y ago
Exactly, every other manufacturer is going to aluminum bodies. Stainless is a very poor choice for several reasons
solardev 3y ago
It gets rusty real quick if you use non-stainless steel.
- Dobbs 3y ago
  That is odd, never really seen rust on any of the non-stainless steal cars I encounter in my day to day life. Not unless they are really old and damaged in significantly other ways.
  - orwin 3y ago
    New cars are not in steel, but in aluminum, which does not rust (hence why metallic boat parts are in aluminum).
    - Dobbs 3y ago
      That was my point. Most cars don't have this issue because they use materials that don't rust as is. Why is Tesla choosing to use something that is hard to work with.
- mminer237 3y ago
  I mean, the obvious alternative would be to use aluminum, which doesn't rust at all and has twice the strength-to-weight ratio.
  - solardev 3y ago
    Yes, I know, it was just a poor joke :/
- prometheus76 3y ago
  Stainless is extremely prone to rust when exposed to salt (i.e. near an ocean, or worse, on salted roads in the winter time.)
rngname22 3y ago
Longevity / resistant to ocean air, strength compared to plastic, and its neat that it's bulletproof?
- prometheus76 3y ago
  How is it resistant to ocean air? Salt is the kryptonite of stainless. Salt quickly causes corrosion in stainless steel...
  - rngname22 3y ago
    Less so than many other forms of steel previously used in automotive, no? If you want to compare to other materials like composites and plastics then sure, but those will have their own drawbacks as well. No material is perfect but for some cases where you do want an alloy body, stainless is going to have benefits over non-stainless steel.
    - dragonwriter 3y ago
      > Less so than many other forms of steel previously used in automotive, no? Perhaps, but those aren't the exclusive, or even main, alternatives today.
deepGem 3y ago
The toughness of a pickup truck has been watered down and Musk is trying to build a vehicle that can stand to the definition of tough. That's what I gleam from his talks and publicly available information. For instance - the bulletproof exterior, now I don't know why anyone would want a bullet proof exterior when your windows are not bulletproof. Then I think may be it is to stop some accidental bullets when you are out on a hunting expedition. Just taking a wild ass guess here. Other than the toughness, I can't find a single reason why he would go with stainless steel. Sitting here in India and contemplating about the CT, I would buy this vehicle in a heartbeat. It is so menacing, that it would give me peace of mind while driving on Indian roads. The vehicle by itself is an insurance against road rage :).
- ivraatiems 3y ago
  > Sitting here in India and contemplating about the CT, I would buy this vehicle in a heartbeat. It is so menacing, that it would give me peace of mind while driving on Indian roads. The vehicle by itself is an insurance against road rage :). Sure, but if you do get hit, good luck finding someone who can repair it and paying their price...
DoesntMatter22 3y ago
I think it's ugly but there are plenty of people who want to buy it.
JamesonNetworks 3y ago
The stainless steel construction is perfect for the flux dispersal

Of all the questionable things Musk has done in the last few years, trying to sell a stainless steel electric truck doesn't even make the top 25.

ngngngng 3y ago

Big steel truck look fun

iancmceachern 3y ago

Exactly, every other manufacturer is going to aluminum bodies. Stainless is a very poor choice for several reasons

solardev 3y ago

It gets rusty real quick if you use non-stainless steel.

Dobbs 3y ago
That is odd, never really seen rust on any of the non-stainless steal cars I encounter in my day to day life. Not unless they are really old and damaged in significantly other ways.
- orwin 3y ago
  New cars are not in steel, but in aluminum, which does not rust (hence why metallic boat parts are in aluminum).
  - Dobbs 3y ago
    That was my point. Most cars don't have this issue because they use materials that don't rust as is. Why is Tesla choosing to use something that is hard to work with.
mminer237 3y ago
I mean, the obvious alternative would be to use aluminum, which doesn't rust at all and has twice the strength-to-weight ratio.
- solardev 3y ago
  Yes, I know, it was just a poor joke :/
prometheus76 3y ago
Stainless is extremely prone to rust when exposed to salt (i.e. near an ocean, or worse, on salted roads in the winter time.)

rngname22 3y ago

Longevity / resistant to ocean air, strength compared to plastic, and its neat that it's bulletproof?

prometheus76 3y ago
How is it resistant to ocean air? Salt is the kryptonite of stainless. Salt quickly causes corrosion in stainless steel...
- rngname22 3y ago
  Less so than many other forms of steel previously used in automotive, no? If you want to compare to other materials like composites and plastics then sure, but those will have their own drawbacks as well. No material is perfect but for some cases where you do want an alloy body, stainless is going to have benefits over non-stainless steel.
  - dragonwriter 3y ago
    > Less so than many other forms of steel previously used in automotive, no? Perhaps, but those aren't the exclusive, or even main, alternatives today.

deepGem 3y ago

The toughness of a pickup truck has been watered down and Musk is trying to build a vehicle that can stand to the definition of tough. That's what I gleam from his talks and publicly available information. For instance - the bulletproof exterior, now I don't know why anyone would want a bullet proof exterior when your windows are not bulletproof. Then I think may be it is to stop some accidental bullets when you are out on a hunting expedition. Just taking a wild ass guess here. Other than the toughness, I can't find a single reason why he would go with stainless steel. Sitting here in India and contemplating about the CT, I would buy this vehicle in a heartbeat. It is so menacing, that it would give me peace of mind while driving on Indian roads. The vehicle by itself is an insurance against road rage :).

ivraatiems 3y ago
> Sitting here in India and contemplating about the CT, I would buy this vehicle in a heartbeat. It is so menacing, that it would give me peace of mind while driving on Indian roads. The vehicle by itself is an insurance against road rage :). Sure, but if you do get hit, good luck finding someone who can repair it and paying their price...

DoesntMatter22 3y ago

I think it's ugly but there are plenty of people who want to buy it.

JamesonNetworks 3y ago

The stainless steel construction is perfect for the flux dispersal