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Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019 Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019

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Tesla Cybertruck’s ‘simple’ design goes way deeper than you think

Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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Elon Musk’s Cybertruck is Tesla’s boldest vehicle yet. With its sharp edges and its unapologetically futuristic look, the Cybertruck appears to be a vehicle that is designed to shock and polarize. Yet, behind its almost brutalist exterior lies a clever theme that gives the Cybertruck the potential to be Tesla’s most disruptive vehicle to date, mainly due to its production efficiencies that are tied to its very exoskeleton. 

When Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck on Thursday night, a good number of netizens and those who were in attendance at the event were shocked. The massive vehicle was clad in cold, hard, unpainted stainless steel, and its sharp triangular design makes it look extremely different from every other pickup truck on the market. Elon Musk has been saying that the Cybertruck will be polarizing, and it definitely was. 

Unlike Tesla’s other vehicles like the Model S, X, and Model 3, the Cybertruck uses an exoskeleton that is made from a new variant of 3000 series stainless steel that’s cold-worked several times. The material is tough and is not unlike the steel used in SpaceX’s gigantic Starship. With this system in place, Tesla is able to skip the traditional stamping process for the vehicle’s body panels. Instead, the Cybertruck’s frame will be laser cut and folded, much like an origami that’s made of steel. 

And just like actual Japanese origami, the Cybertruck’s stainless steel body is actually folded into shape instead of being cut up into several pieces and stamped multiple times by massive machines, according to an exclusive look into the vehicle by MotorTrend. Considering that the stamping process is very capital intensive (stamping machines are among the largest and most expensive components of a car factory), Tesla’s origami-style design for the Cybertruck becomes a very cost-effective way to produce a massive, durable, futuristic vehicle at relatively low cost. 

Elon Musk recently elaborated on this in a recent tweet, stating that the Cybertruck’s 3mm-thick stainless steel exoskeleton is not very friendly to stamping machines. “Reason Cybertruck is so planar is that you can’t stamp ultra-hard 30X steel, because it breaks the stamping press,” Musk wrote.  

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Using stainless steel also allows Tesla to skip out on the painting of the vehicle, allowing the company to not use a paint shop in the vehicle’s production process. This results in further savings, while also avoiding the paint headaches that Tesla had to deal with when it ramped its previous vehicles, particularly the Model 3. 

The absence of the stamping press and the paint shop in the Cybertruck’s production has another advantage, in the way that the vehicle’s production line could probably be done in a relatively small area. Without giant stamping presses and an expansive paint shop, after all, Tesla could produce the Cybertruck in an assembly line that is designed for speed. 

The EV community was shocked by the starting price of the Cybertruck just as much as it was shocked by the vehicle’s design. Starting at $39,990, the base Cybertruck is very competitively priced and is chock full of tech that its competitors simply cannot hold a candle to. Couple this with a design that is optimized for efficiency, and the vehicle could very well be a disruptor on its own right in the highly-competitive pickup truck segment.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.

The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.

It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:

Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:

“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”

The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.

Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love

The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.

The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:

“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”

It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.

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Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix

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u/Kruzat, see page for license, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.

Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.

Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue

The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”

Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.

Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:

The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.

However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”

The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.

This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.

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Tesla is already expanding its Rental program aggressively

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla is looking to expand its Rental Program aggressively, just weeks after the program was first spotted on its Careers website.

Earlier this month, we reported on Tesla’s intention to launch a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, which would give people in various locations the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with some outrageous perks.

Along with the cheap rates that start at about $60 per day, Tesla also provides free Full Self-Driving operation and free Supercharging for the duration of the rental. There are also no limits on mileage or charging, but the terms do not allow the renter to leave the state from which they are renting.

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

Job postings from Tesla now show it is planning to launch the Rental program in at least three new states: Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.

The jobs specifically are listed as a Rental Readiness Specialist, which lists the following job description:

“The Tesla Rental Program is looking for a Rental Readiness Specialist to work on one of the most progressive vehicle brands in the world. The Rental Readiness Specialist is a key contributor to the Tesla experience by coordinating the receipt of incoming new and used vehicle inventory. This position is responsible for fleet/lot management, movement of vehicles, vehicle readiness, rental invoicing, and customer hand-off. Candidates must have a high level of accountability, and personal satisfaction in doing a great job.”

It also says that those who take the position will have to charge and clean the cars, work with clients on scheduling pickups and drop-offs, and prepare the paperwork necessary to initiate the rental.

The establishment of a Rental program is big for Tesla because it not only gives people the opportunity to experience the vehicles, but it is also a new way to rent a car.

Just as the Tesla purchasing process is more streamlined and more efficient than the traditional car-buying experience, it seems this could be less painful and a new way to borrow a car for a trip instead of using your own.

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