We still know nothing about the final specs and options for the Cybertruck, even though it looks like the first deliveries are just weeks away, but according to CEO Elon Musk, one option may be a tungsten carbide coating to make the stainless body even tougher.
Ever since the Cybertruck was first unveiled to the world back in 2019, its rugged design with ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless-steel and Tesla armor glass has made it seem like it was going to be almost indestructible. Recent crash tests have shown that the Cybertruck is indeed a tough machine, but there is still one thing that will definitely leave a scratch, and that’s when it gets keyed.
Making light of the Cybertruck’s toughness, James Douma joked on X that anyone who tries to key the electric pickup truck will instead be ruining their keys. That’s when Musk chimed in, unprompted, saying that the company may be able to offer an optional tungsten carbide coating that would make it essentially scratch-proof to anything but diamonds.
We might be able to offer an optional tungsten carbide coating, which is basically scratch-proof to everything below diamond hardness
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 14, 2023
If you have been a Tesla owner, or even a fan who follows the company closely, you know that vandals love targeting Teslas. While it may feel like they get targeted more than other cars, this is actually not the case, but seems that way because of Sentry Mode capturing the vandals in the act. If Tesla does offer this option, most people will be unaware of the scratch-resistant qualities of the Cybertruck, which would make for some great Sentry Mode videos of confused vandals.
The big part of that statement is if Tesla offers it. We are likely just a few weeks away from the first Cybertruck deliveries, so if it does become reality, it likely won’t be available for a while. If it is added to the Design Studio, it would be the first time such a coating has been offered to cover the body of the vehicle, but not the first time it has been used in the automotive sector. Porsche coats their brake rotors in tungsten carbide as it gives them better performance, less wear, less brake dust, and eliminates rust.
