Tesla Cybertruck

What if the shape was dictated by the material? Creating complicated forms on "Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel" would be harder than the usual automotive sheet metal?
A typical truck is basically made up of three boxes, doesn't need to be anything overstyled really...
 
What if the shape was dictated by the material? Creating complicated forms on "Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel" would be harder than the usual automotive sheet metal?

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If anything the huge side stampings that the Cybertruck's design visibly requires are already more complex than they need to be and incorporate many stress points (read: opportunities for failure) that don't have to be there.
 
Wasn't the DeLorean stainless steel skin over a fiberglass backing?
 
Wasn't the DeLorean stainless steel skin over a fiberglass backing?

Stainless steel body on a fiberglass tub, the whole assemblage mounted on a steel "backbone" chassis.


Point being that it's not exactly that difficult to stamp out stainless steel panels, even thick and stiff ones, and that it doesn't have to look like low polygon count generic videogame truck for materials reasons.
 
Plus if you can't stamp it, theres always hydroforming. You usually can get more complex shapes from harder materials that way. If you can hydroform titanium for aerospace applications, you can hydroform Tesla's steel for automotive. And if they managed to pick a material that can't be hydroformed, they're driving a ton of unnecessary weight in order to meet some unnecessary requirement.
 
Unpopular opinion: If I had need of a tow rig that could only go a couple hundred miles at a shot, I'd own one of these for the sheer lulz.
 
The powertrain would be great for that, true.

The air suspension is going to be a problem, Land Rover has never managed to make one that works, especially in cold climates. Musk was touting the adaptive air suspension as if it wasn't something that's been around for over 30 years. An air take-off from the suspension is also nothing new or special.

The thing about making a "skeletal stress skin" design and blah blah blah - it's a fucking unibody. Again, nothing special about unibody construction, although he's using some novel materials in that "origami" look.

Speaking of origami: The shape of the cab is going to make rear headroom a serious problem. His whole "trucks look the same, let's make it different for the sake of difference" is idiotic. Trucks are shaped that way because that's the best shape to carry people and stuff; and that's the primary job of a truck. I'm going to be human origami trying to fit in the back seat of that thing. It's going to be perfect for a small population (pardon the pun) - Oompa Loompas, the Lollipop Guild, small children, and adults who have suffered cranial amputation.
 
I look forward to seeing what actually goes on sale and hope that I don't cut myself on it if I ever see a real one. I can't take this concept vehicle seriously but I have always liked the Lamborghini LM002.

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Fuck it, just make an electric one of these Elon and I'll buy it.
 
An air take-off from the suspension is also nothing new or special.
Fuck, I literally posted about doing it on a thirty year old shitbox a few weeks back. Where's my royalty money?

As for the rear seats being useless, there's a pretty substantial set of crew cab truck drivers who use the back seat exclusively for cargo (and the bed for precisely fuckall)
 
Fucking awful. But the fanbois on reddit are downvoting anyone who says that to oblivion.

I mean I know reddit is a shithole, but seriously...this thing is hideous.
 
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James May would describe it as "gopping".
 
If it was model x shaped with a pickup truck bed, that would be way better, use normal doors though.
 


Really?
 
This is so fucking woefully bad I'm actually starting to like it. As an idea, as a concept. Not so much as an actual vehicle and something that Musk is planning to put into production.

EDIT:
Also, how is that going to pass pedestrian safety regulations?
This also makes me rather curious.
 
I understand them making the body out of thicker than normal steel to avoid damage on work sites (not that anyone who uses their truck for work is likely to buy this thing) but wtf is the point of ballistic rated window glass?
 
I understand them making the body out of thicker than normal steel to avoid damage on work sites (not that anyone who uses their truck for work is likely to buy this thing) but wtf is the point of ballistic rated window glass?

A publicity stunt. You make an outlandish claim, it backfires, you get on the front page of literally every website, and literally everyone talking about it. I bet that was the plan all along.
 
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