The Tesla Cybertruck certainly goes against conventional automotive design language, and is the first vehicle since the DeLorean to have a stainless steel finish instead of traditional aluminum. This stainless steel exoskeleton will not only make the electric truck extremely durable, but it will also make maintenance a breeze thanks to its unique finish.
During an interview with Ryan McCaffrey on the Ride The Lightning podcast, Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen provided more details on the Cybertruck ahead of its official debut in production form. One of those details was on the stainless steel finish which according to von Holzhausen will allow owners to repair scratches themselves.
“The stainless is incredibly hard so if in the event that there is a scratch we do have a process that you could yourself basically buff it or remove the scratch as well and return to the basic finish that’s on the stainless,” von Holzhausen explained.
von Holzhausen went on to say that the Cybertruck’s stainless steel finish won’t be like the appliances in your kitchen. If you look closely at your refrigerator you will notice faint lines, either straight up and down or side to side. This directional finish means that when you clean your refrigerator, you must wipe in the same direction as the lines, or grain.
This obviously wouldn’t be practical for a car, so Tesla has developed their own “intentional finish.”
“It’s a different process. It’s not the same as like the brush finish on a refrigerator or a DeLorean or something, but it there is an intentional finish that we apply to it,” said von Holzhausen.
von Holzhausen didn’t go into specifics of what that finish will be, but Drive Tesla has learned the automaker has developed their own unique non-directional finish. This non-directional finish is what will allow the owner to repair scratches on their Cybertruck and make it look like it is part of the vehicle’s original finish.
While it may not sound like much, it is actually extremely difficult to apply this finish in a repeatable and efficient way on a mass production line. Tesla formed their own special team to solve this problem and came up with a way to apply it that is hundreds of times faster than applying it by conventional methods.
von Holzhausen didn’t speak to when the Cybertruck will actually enter production, but all the signs are pointing to Tesla being on track for a mid-2023 production start. The company has been hiring for several months for the Cybertruck production line and is already assembling the 9,000 ton Giga Press inside Giga Texas.
You can listed to the full interview below. The section on the Cybertruck’s finish starts at around 8:35. You can also read more about the interview here.
