Tesla's electric pickup truck flouts convention with angular design and armored glass

[Don Mega]

6 minutes ago, Will E Vormer said:

Go and look online

I did and they all have exposed bar work.

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, mikebike said:

I'm not a librarian. Do your own research.

Yeah I figured you had no clue, thanks for the confirmation.

[canthai55]

Like getting ripped off - buy a Tesla

eg. door handle - $800 to $1000 USD

brake caliper assy with pads $745.00 USD

parking brake caliper with pads $1235.00 USD

And you must buy from Tesla - if they will sell to you

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by canthai55

[madhav]

Yeah I have heard about this. I suspect time is approaching for some 'non genuine' parts to be built/copied.

 

[canopy]

6 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Why can't they just build a conventional truck

Certainly they could have made a conventional looking truck out of conventional materials and that would be the easy way to follow what everyone else is doing and they did that with their cars. Tesla made a HUGE gamble with their pickup and it's too early to tell if it will pay off or be a curious one off that disappears quickly. Tesla big bet is people that buy pickups prioritize utility over fashion. Some people think it looks cool some don't but that's not the point. Buying a truck is deemed more like buying a tool where a car is about buying image. The technology to shape and round Tesla's ultra hard cold rolled stainless steel alloy simply does not exist. That's why you will notice from every single angle the truck is planer. As someone said, it's form follows function. And it is believed the cybertruck will have better aerodynamics than conventional looking pickups which will give an efficiency edge. People who think Tesla is going to go back and feverishly rethink the look and make it look to be like other pickups don't understand the hardened stainless steel is dictating the look. Tesla's big bet is buyers will prefer a tougher truck with a host of other benefits that looks different rather opt for a "normal" looking truck with lower utility and not as tough. Interesting is Tesla originally planned to use titanium for the body but switched to cold-pressed steel due to the latter’s higher strength, higher hardness, and lower cost. Too early to tell how this decision will play in the market, but you can bet the other manufacturers are sweating bullets.

 

[Coremouse]

15 hours ago, canopy said:

Certainly they could have made a conventional looking truck out of conventional materials and that would be the easy way to follow what everyone else is doing and they did that with their cars. Tesla made a HUGE gamble with their pickup and it's too early to tell if it will pay off or be a curious one off that disappears quickly. Tesla big bet is people that buy pickups prioritize utility over fashion. Some people think it looks cool some don't but that's not the point. Buying a truck is deemed more like buying a tool where a car is about buying image. The technology to shape and round Tesla's ultra hard cold rolled stainless steel alloy simply does not exist. That's why you will notice from every single angle the truck is planer. As someone said, it's form follows function. And it is believed the cybertruck will have better aerodynamics than conventional looking pickups which will give an efficiency edge. People who think Tesla is going to go back and feverishly rethink the look and make it look to be like other pickups don't understand the hardened stainless steel is dictating the look. Tesla's big bet is buyers will prefer a tougher truck with a host of other benefits that looks different rather opt for a "normal" looking truck with lower utility and not as tough. Interesting is Tesla originally planned to use titanium for the body but switched to cold-pressed steel due to the latter’s higher strength, higher hardness, and lower cost. Too early to tell how this decision will play in the market, but you can bet the other manufacturers are sweating bullets.

 

Well I'm not an engineer just speak from my hobby perspective, cold rolled Austenitic Stainless Steel is one thing sooo darn weak and prone to warpage I would never use in any big structural project( I do have lots 304 cold rolled sheets stocked at home for various other projects. Also SS may galvanic corrode mild steel ). I wonder if any certified cage ever constructed out of 300s stainless? 

 

Material price wise, run of the mill 304 already tripled than say proven steel, and rivals chromoly( high strength with good elongation ), plus it is an ass to anneal, work hardens, galls, but can't be heat treated to harden/shape. If the truck was constructed fully 301 or 302 Elon would pawn his pants for selling his monstrosity. More like bling SS sheet on outside, while inside still traditional design. And no, mass production would not change material price - 300s are mass produced in unimaginable quantities for many many years, nickel & chrome & other alloy elements are just soo expensive than iron that's reality fact. 

 

Also a flattened Retrogaming 'exoshell' is much less rigid/efficient than traditional frame or unibody. While weight is big problem for EVs already. 

 

Current AHSS/PHS spotted in unibody cars' critical section generate 1500mpa tensile & >600mpa fatigue limit. That's lightyears better than strongest of 301. Some Maraging AHSS for nextgen unibody already in 2000-3000mpa range. I see no prob 'other manufacturers' utilizing them. 

 

( I've no interest in Tesla but many Tesla fanboys say it's austenitic, I'll just assume it is. However ferritic & martensitic would be more ridiculous in many ways plus not really 'stainless'. If really want 'exoshell' you could always make it full carbon, and Elon can do carbon fibre since that leaking COPV killed his rocket in fabulous explosion )

[Gulfsailor]

And only available in stainless grey, as it it’s impossible to put a coating on it which will hold. That also means that if one wants to remove any small damage like a dent or scratch, it means replacing an entire panel. And that’s not something a typical body shop can nicely weld with stainless. 

[canthai55]

The whole Tesla thing is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Sell a car where you can not buy parts or repair.

Charge exorbitant prices for the most trivial parts - $800 to $1000 for a door handle !!!

Sell a car which can not be easily repaired if at all.

"A Fool and His Money are Soon Parted"

[Don Mega]

17 hours ago, canopy said:

Certainly they could have made a conventional looking truck out of conventional materials and that would be the easy way to follow what everyone else is doing and they did that with their cars. Tesla made a HUGE gamble with their pickup and it's too early to tell if it will pay off or be a curious one off that disappears quickly. Tesla big bet is people that buy pickups prioritize utility over fashion. Some people think it looks cool some don't but that's not the point. Buying a truck is deemed more like buying a tool where a car is about buying image. The technology to shape and round Tesla's ultra hard cold rolled stainless steel alloy simply does not exist. That's why you will notice from every single angle the truck is planer. As someone said, it's form follows function. And it is believed the cybertruck will have better aerodynamics than conventional looking pickups which will give an efficiency edge. People who think Tesla is going to go back and feverishly rethink the look and make it look to be like other pickups don't understand the hardened stainless steel is dictating the look. Tesla's big bet is buyers will prefer a tougher truck with a host of other benefits that looks different rather opt for a "normal" looking truck with lower utility and not as tough. Interesting is Tesla originally planned to use titanium for the body but switched to cold-pressed steel due to the latter’s higher strength, higher hardness, and lower cost. Too early to tell how this decision will play in the market, but you can bet the other manufacturers are sweating bullets.

 

Speaking of bullets, how many  countries outside of the USA all the average Joe to own a bullet resistant vehicle ?

[sirineou]

23 hours ago, canopy said:

As someone said, it's form follows function. And it is believed the cybertruck will have better aerodynamics than conventional looking pickups which will give an efficiency edge.

It follows Musk's  "first principles" concept and builds from there, which is why he has being able to disrupt so many industries. so absolutely "Form follows function" . All the others are playing it safe and are trying to adopt what already exists. which requires compromises.