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Unfortunately, no. That area gets crushed in a rear end collision, so for crash worthiness you don't want to put batteries there. It would be a big fire risk.
EVs all have the battery located as centrally as possible with as much crumple space around them as possible.
(Pic for reference)
I think you didn't hear/see what I saw/heard in the CT rollout. The unique thing about the CT was the Stainless steel structural exoskeleton (not just cosmetic or aerodynamic panels - structure). The idea was that this structural design would, similar to unibody construction, enable a lot more strength with a lot less mass as is needed to carry enough battery weight to enable long enough range while towing or hauling. So many people (Musk included) seemed to get caught up in the Cyberpunk aspects, steel shot, and sledge hammer that they missed that key element.
The challenges were many:
- Can they work the stainless steel to create the necessary shape?
- Will imperfections on the folding look bad on the final product?
- Can this design carry enough battery mass and still have sufficient payload mass to meet the market needs?
- Can it be done cheaply enough to provide a viable sell price?
- Will it really be better than the traditional body-on-frame or uni-body construction?
- Were there unknown issues that arose as they went down the path?
Whether it worked or not is the big question that we may learn more about Thursday.
Just like the Starship launches: Musk can't promise success but he can promise it will be exciting.
I tend to see the above as "Market Research", while "Marketing"(at least in the real world as opposed to the academic B-school) tends to be more about selling things as I described. You're probably right about that 101 course aspect. I was thinking more about what the industries I've been around call "Marketing".
You're probably also right that, as a technology company, Tesla is more interested, initially at least, in whether the technology works than whether it meets a particular understood market. The assumption in this case is that, if the technology proves superior, it can be applied in different areas to meet different market needs, just as the body-on-frame and uni-body techniques did.
Since when is bending stainless steel any more difficult than any other steel or metal? Its not like its infinitely strong or anything. Its pretty much the same as any other high strength steel Sure, if its hardened, it can be brittle and crack if bent too sharply, but this is all well known in the realm of sheet metal fabrication techniques and limitations.
My refrigerator has stainless front door panels on it. Wanna know why? Its not that stainless is some magic material from which to build the best appliances, no. And its not that I need a bullet proof refrigerator. It is stainless because stainless is shiny and attracts buyers. Just like birds and fish are attracted to shiny things.
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
We don't seem to have any of those problems here on the east coast. When I got my first Tesla there were zero charging stations on the east coast, now on my fourth with over 400K of Tesla driving (my wife is on her second S too) they are everywhere. I would like 500, but in reality the way I drive, I can make a gas car only get 200 miles of range.
lowtek
Active Member
Same.
I'd love a 500 mile truck for the same reason I want a < 3s truck and the same reason I want a 1100hp Plaid ... but I'm not towing every day nor do I hit the track with the S.
They are SS panels over a high strength steel unibody design, here are several pics of the CT assembly line. Munro Associates did a deep dive on these pics and came right out and said these are panels over a unibody assembly - the first pic is of an early mock-up design that was hand built where the guy on the assembly line is actually attaching the SS panels by hand:
lowtek
Active Member
The first pic is clearly a fake.
But it was always going to be exoskeleton over unibody, we knew that from the beginning. The stainless steel exoskeleton is there to add strength to the unibody. Without it, the truck won't be able to do truck things. Traditional trucks have a ladder frame for strength. The Cybertruck doesn't have a ladder frame, just a structural pack, so it takes both the unibody and exoskeleton to give it the strength it needs to do truck things.
Simple search reveal that the rest of the planet understands that stainless is not just plain steel.
Does Stainless Steel Bend Easily? Exploring Material Properties And ...
or
Bending Stainless Steel Sheet: Strategies to Conquer Springback | MachineMFG
Get the key points and analysis you need to bend stainless steel like a pro! Learn how to avoid springback and get flawless results. Get expert tips now.
www.machinemfg.com
or how about why use stainless in a kitchen
Strong & Durable: Why We Use Stainless Steel in the Kitchen
Stainless steel is absolutely everywhere in the kitchen. If you don’t have sleek stainless steel appliances or kitchen islandsSteel is fantastic stuff. It’s an iron alloy and strong as all get-out. It doesn’t chip, bend, or crack easily (though it does scratch), and it stays shiny over years of...
www.thekitchn.com
Growing Popularity of Stainless Steel in the Kitchen; 11 Reasons why:
Stainless steel- you've seen it, heard of it and likely already use it. Stainless steel is not new. In fact it has been well adored for centuries in commercial, industrial and household kitchens around the world. The early '70s saw a surge in plastic use in kitchens and has grown exponentially...
dalcinistainless.com
Stainless Steel Use in the Food Service Industry - Unified Alloys
Since the earliest days of its existence, people have seen stainless steel’s potential to help make food preparation safer and easier. From high-end consumer items to the largest commercial kitchens, stainless steel surfaces, equipment,...
www.unifiedalloys.com
Other than Musk's pleadings - please show me one engineering analysis that clearly states that this is an exoskeleton over a unibody. A unibody does not require anything to add strength to it - that would be a horrible design approach from a safety standpoint. The unibody is the frame. There can also be subframes attached to the unibody for design purposes. The CT is not a body on frame design as you're attempting to say here. It's a unibody design with steel panels. I'll believe Sandy Munro, who has been in the automotive design business for decades, over anyone on this forum, without question.
Refundable 100$ interests are not Orders nor commitments to final design. It costed no one anything to show an interest. Big difference.
I think you proved my point when your simple search on the internet reveals that the knowledge necessary for bending stainless is readily available and well known.Simple search reveal that the rest of the planet understands that stainless is not just plain steel.
Does Stainless Steel Bend Easily? Exploring Material Properties And ...
or
Bending Stainless Steel Sheet: Strategies to Conquer Springback | MachineMFG
Get the key points and analysis you need to bend stainless steel like a pro! Learn how to avoid springback and get flawless results. Get expert tips now.
or how about why use stainless in a kitchen
Strong & Durable: Why We Use Stainless Steel in the Kitchen
Stainless steel is absolutely everywhere in the kitchen. If you don’t have sleek stainless steel appliances or kitchen islandsSteel is fantastic stuff. It’s an iron alloy and strong as all get-out. It doesn’t chip, bend, or crack easily (though it does scratch), and it stays shiny over years of...Growing Popularity of Stainless Steel in the Kitchen; 11 Reasons why:
Stainless steel- you've seen it, heard of it and likely already use it. Stainless steel is not new. In fact it has been well adored for centuries in commercial, industrial and household kitchens around the world. The early '70s saw a surge in plastic use in kitchens and has grown exponentially...Stainless Steel Use in the Food Service Industry - Unified Alloys
Since the earliest days of its existence, people have seen stainless steel’s potential to help make food preparation safer and easier. From high-end consumer items to the largest commercial kitchens, stainless steel surfaces, equipment,...
Why are you even here other than to complain to anyone who says anything positive, fortunately TMC has a remedy, I'm done bothering with you - goodbye
legendsk
Member
I have good confidence in 500 miles. There may be some caveats, such as all down hill, with greater than 30 mph tail wind, temperature between 68ºF and 72ºF and no passengers, driver or cargo, but those could all happen - most likely failure to meet spec would be if it requires V12 in order to reach 500?
I always assumed SS was waiting for a reason to exist. Thank goodness for the CT exosekelton.
I always assumed that an exoskeleton meant that the panels would be load bearing. It seams to me that the Sheetmetal attached to the inner structure is not load bearing. The Skeleton of the Truck does the load bearing because everything attaches to it and it must support the weight of the Body panels and Glass roof. The Battery seems to also be load bearing because it holds the weight of everything above it like the Seats of the Truck. Without a strong shell the Truck wouldn't be able to support the weight of all of the external items attached to it.
Mrbrock
Active Member
They go for short term gains from these speculations about future products and hope stock owners forget about the when the products come in underperforming and/or the resultant price drop will be less than the initial gain.
