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Tesla has never disclosed cell costs, AFAIK. What is your cell cost?

That's proprietary, unfortunately.

Tesla has answered questions on cell cost a few times. In 2015, they said they were less than the $145/kWh GM/LG Bolt price that Mary Barra announced to LG's dismay, and Musk said they might be near $100/kWh later this year if commodity price increases don't change things.
 
I had to...
Cybertruck order.jpg
 
I Keep picturing the rusted stainless steel grills I see at the beach (salt air) and wonder if that’s just an issue with a lower quality SS?

I think we used 318 stainless but it has been years so ... I think the message is more about how incredibly corrosive salt concentrations can be (much higher than sea water in this case). With 318 it was rare to see corrosion but I did occasionally encounter it. It was usually not very deep and took time to appear usually as a mild discoloration.

This shouldn't diverge into a salt discussion but salt is corrosive and extended exposure should be avoided IMO.
 
I think what people have really missed is that this is in engineering driven design to make an EV pickup priced affordably in 2022. They could have made a Rivian-like EV and priced it way higher with a bigger battery.

Look at the implications with Tesla's design being so efficient and cost comparable to legacy ICE pickup trucks. Battery costs are going to continue to drop and Tesla will be able price their truck lower than every comparably sized ICE pickup. All while ICE pickup pricing goes higher as they comply with fuel economy and emissions rules. I doubt GM, Ford, and Chrysler thought this dynamic was even possible.
 
This is serious crack pipe smoking.

It takes a long time to change minds this drastically in terms of aesthetics.

If it does happen it will take a lot longer than 4 years.

This is the equivalent of saying in 4 years the blue business suit will be on the way out in favor of silver sci fi suits.

images
This is different. Because money talks. If wearing that silver suit pays you 3 to 6 grand per year many would do it.

If you compare the duo motor version with the F-150. It's price competitive.

This is big, it's the first time an electric car priced under an equally functioned gas car. This is the pivot point we have been waiting for a really long time.

no higher upfront cost and annual saving in the thousands!

Your saying Americans are all filthy rich now nobody would take that multi grand annual savings just because of the look?
 
I Keep picturing the rusted stainless steel grills I see at the beach (salt air) and wonder if that’s just an issue with a lower quality SS?
Yeah, you need to add Molybdenum to avoid corrosion in salt enviroments. Alloys like SAE 316L are useful marine alloys, and are also strengthened by cold-rolliing:

"The addition of molybdenum provides greater corrosion resistance than 304, with respect to localized corrosive attack by chlorides and to general corrosion by reducing acids, such as sulfuric acid.[1] 316L grade is the low carbon version of 316 stainless steel. When cold worked, 316 can produce high yield and tensile strengths similar to Duplex stainless grades."​

Although in his Popular Mechanics interview in January, Elon said SpaceX was using 301 stainless steel for Starship. That probably why Mk 1 blew its top at Boca Chica last week, since welding 301 SS can lead to stress fracture weak points from overheating.

Ah well, live and learn, right? :rolleyes:
 
I Keep picturing the rusted stainless steel grills I see at the beach (salt air) and wonder if that’s just an issue with a lower quality SS?

We don’t know the composition of this SS.
Maybe an analyst or someone should ask Tesla what the mix is of iron (maybe none?), chromium, nickel, molybdenum, silicon, manganese, etc, which are common components of SS.

If the surface scratches, will it have the same rustproof qualities?

All TBD still.
 
Why are we assuming that it's a conventional pickup truck? Could GM be the mystery "major carmaker" that @KarenRei's confidential source suggested is Tesla's pickup truck EV drive-train partner? With the Tesla Design Studio working on an EV version of the Chevy Silverado?

Do.
Not.
Start.
With.
Another.
Ridiculous.
Partnership.
Discussion.
 
Methinks that rather than also develop a more conventional pickup truck, Tesla should partner with an ICE manufacturer to use the Tesla powertrain to electrify a popular conventional pickup. THAT would be the quickest way to effectuate the mission of sustainable transport.
When they can build another GF in a year and pump out all the Cybertrucks needed? That will be faster than trying to persuade the incumbents to use their sleds.
 
Are guns made of stainless steel? Note that I'm not saying this will happen to the far better grade of SS that Tesla uses--just an observation on other stainless steel.

Most guns today are made of regular steel with a nitride finish, with some plastic.

Stainless is used sometimes for frames, slides, and barrels, and when it is they rarely bother to use finish.

Here is an HK USP, one with a stainless slide, and one with a ntiride finished steel slide:
maxresdefault.jpg
 
I don't think the Cybertruck design is pretending to cover the segment of the market of people who need to tow gooseneck trailers. While those have become more popular in recent years, they are still just a tiny part of the market, I guess 1-2% of the market. The Cybertruck is more of a mass-market truck.

If the typical gooseneck needs more clearance than that offered by the Cybertruck, it *can't* be accommodated. Here's why:

As I've been saying for a long time on this Forum, the Cybertruck will be uni-body construction and it will be shaped like an arched bridge. This is to achieve the high load capacity and rigid structure necessary for high tow ratings and to handle like a sports car. I'm afraid the typical media commentator just doesn't understand this aspect of the Cybertruck. It is not evolutionary, but revolutionary even though they can't get beyond talking about the styling.

Musk and company actually one-upped my preconceptions by making the actual body panels a more significant part of the unibody frame (exoskeleton). While current unibody SUV's and cars use some of the thin painted body panels as stressed members, their contribution to the structure is somewhat minimal. With the Cybertruck the thick stainless steel panels really ARE the frame. You are looking at part of the frame when you see the body panels. Making the sides of the bed fold inward would reduce the necessary vertical component that gives the "bridge" it's strength.

This is completely opposite the situation with traditional trucks where the sides of the bed are only to hold the cargo, nothing else. They do not contribute to the strength of the frame or the chassis rigidity and driving dynamics at all. The bed is dead weight. That is why trucks have such terrible driving dynamics. In the Cybertruck, the bed contributes to the overall structural integrity in a way that makes it impossible to cut it down in height. This truck will appeal to those who want a REAL truck, one that drives like it's hewn from a single piece of steel, not bolted together like a bunch of un-engineered disparate parts that are mostly dead weight like the current cheap jalopies are.

Ford, Chevy, and Dodge, I'm looking at you! The big three pickup makers have been building the basic structure of the pickup the same since the pickup was invented. They are ridiculous! They are incapable of change and are part of the problem. The Cybertruck will use fewer and higher quality materials to build a superior truck that costs less, lasts longer and drives like it's hewn from a single piece of metal.. No more gas tanks, fuel pumps, frame pads, exhaust hangers, transfer cases, axle U-bolts, etc. etc. etc. Detroit has been doing it all wrong and it should be highly embarrassing to them. Their customers have been enablers of this bad behavior because they didn't know there was a better way. Leave it to Elon Musk to redefine just how good a pickup truck can be. How completely embarrassing!
Great approach to the 5th-wheel/gooseneck trailer towing question. Thanks for breaking it down for us. You've got an excellent analytical mind.

I agree with your analysis, with only one question remaining in my mind. Tesla's Cybertruck web pages feature a photo of what appears to be towing a futuristic work trailer. Tesla's unibody structure must have been engineered to some degree to facilitate the planned ability to pull such a load. Towing forces aren't just 'can it pull it forward', but also must address the stopping, lateral wind, and uneven road surface torque dynamics. The rated towing capacity of 7500# seems to address this as well.
 
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