That’s cold, Tesla.
The Tesla Cybertruck looks like it does because of what it’s made out of, but Tesla won’t be making any more vehicles with it anytime soon. The triangular truck’s body is constructed from cold-rolled stainless steel that’s resistant to dents, but difficult to shape.
That’s why the panels are all nearly flat. To the extent that they are shaped, Tesla uses a touchless “air bending” technique that also prevents scratches during the manufacturing process. But the tech has reached a dead end.
Noted in a post to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, a section in Tesla’s 2024 full year update highlighting all of the Cybertruck’s “Advanacements in Vehicle Technology and Architecture” says there are no plans to use either the stainless steel or the air bending process in future vehicles.
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Tesla has stepped back from manufacturing advancements before. When the Model 3 was launched in 2017, the plan was for it to be built on a highly automated, densely packaged assembly line, but the process didn’t work well and Tesla was forced to reintegrate more traditional techniques.
That’s not to say stainless steel and air bending won’t be resurrected at a later date, but they definitely don’t play a part in Tesla’s current product pipeline. Many of the Cybertruck’s other features have made the cut, however, including its rear wheel steering, steer-by-wire and 800-volt battery system, although the report doesn’t specify which vehicles will be using any of them.
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The Cybertruck was the top-selling electric pickup in the U.S. in 2024 with 38,965 delivered, according to Cox Automotive, but that was below many expectations. Tesla’s Austin, Tex., factory is currently tooled to build up to 125,000 Cybertrucks per year and the automaker hasn’t indicated it has plans to expand that soon. In 2023 Elon Musk was optimistic that deliveries would reach 250,000 at some point.
Tesla is scheduled to add a new model at the factory soon. A new entry-level vehicle that will combine elements from the platform that underpins the current Model Y and Model 3 with next generation design is slated to enter production in the first half of 2025, but Tesla hasn’t released any details about it, including whether or not it will be a car or SUV and how big it will be.