this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024

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Tesla Cybertruck May Have A Rust Problem (www.carsdirect.com)

submitted 10 months ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Tesla Cybertruck May Have A Rust Problem::One of the more standout qualities of the Tesla Cybertruck is its bare stainless-steel body. The stainless-steel body gives the Cybertruck a unique design, but

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[–] vinylshrapnel@lemmynsfw.com 11 points 10 months ago (5 children)

They keep using the words “stainless steel” which is an alloy created to be rustproof by removing the iron out of it. So how exactly is this stainless steel if it rusts?

[–] ChapulinColorado@lemmy.world 39 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

There are different qualities of stainless steel. Remember kids, it’s stain less not stain never.

[–] vinylshrapnel@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I guess there is still iron in it. Looks like they didn’t use an alloy with enough chromium for the application.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 10 points 10 months ago

Tesla, cutting corners?! Say it isn't so!

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Well it has to be workable/formable, weldable and crack resistant under stress. Just welding most stainless mess with its ferrous properties.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

Forming it screws it up too. Work hardening after forging can make it magnetic.

[–] lars@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

In addition to funny is this also actually true?

[–] DanglingFury@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Yeah. I have a small pocket knife i carry everywhere, it is stainless. I've had it for years, and frequently bring it in the water with me clipped to my swim suit (incase i need to cut a tangled rope). I wash it like a dish with soap and water, i use it hard and put it away wet, and it has been fine for years and years.

After all this, i took it on a single trip in salt water, it spotted with rust that night.

I also have a Sig P938 SAS which has a stainless slide. I keep that dry and oil it on occasion, and yet that one spotted with rust within a year despite me taking good care of it. Luckily sig replaced the slide but this taught me one good lesson.

Different grades of stainless make it different grades of rust resistant. Kind of like calling IP67 electronics, like the iPhone 7, "waterproof" when they can only really withstand splashing. Some can get dunked, some can't.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Absolutely. Why would they call it less if it's actually never? That would be exceptionally terrible marketing.

[–] lars@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Sure, “less” means “fewer” or “not as much as”.

But the suffix “-less” means “without”:

flawless: no flaws
spotless: no spots; clean
fearless: without fear

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago

So then it's genius marketing. Stainless absolutely stains and rusts.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Reckless: without wrecks

[–] model_tar_gz@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Nah, that’s without Rekts.

[–] kiwi5400@lemmy.world 29 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm being pedantic here, but stainless steel still has iron in it. The addition of chromium forms an oxide layer on the surface that prevents rust. If the body is rusting, that means they used a shitty grade of stainless. Stainless with an appropriate amount of chromium (and nickel) is expensive as fuck.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago

Stainless can go goofy after working it. Work hardening can even make stainless magnetic. Sorry, I don't know the physics of why.

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Stainless has chromium added. Iron is still the main element. Different stainless steels have various other elements added, like molybdenum. There’s a wide range of SS for various purposes depending on their formability, weldability, corrosion resistance, heat treatment or precipitation hardened. Some are mildly magnetic (400 series), others not (300 series). Big range of cost too. Not sure which one they used. There’s also a finishing process called passivation that should be used to reduce the likelihood of corrosion.

[–] mellitiger@iusearchlinux.fyi 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

You are absolutely right, just for clarity:

Chromium needs to be > 12 weight-%. If you take 18 w-% Cr and 8 w-% Ni you get an austenitic steel which is (normally) neither magnetic nor able to be hardened.

And if you add 12 w-% Cr, you remove 12 w-% Fe. So formally this is right-ish too...

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

it rusts less, far less in fact, but it still does rust.

Also there are different grades, i bet they cheaped out

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago

The answer is in the name. It's stainless not stainproof