A lot has to be said about Tesla's (TSLA) controversial Cybertruck, whether it is its sharp, polygon-shaped looks, its size or the time frame of its production and delivery.
The latest issue revolving around the Cybertruck involves the truck's unpainted stainless steel finish; as owners complained that their trucks have started developing signs of corrosion and rust after exposing it to the elements.
However, a key Tesla engineer took to social media to say that such claims are all blown out of proportion.
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In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Feb. 16, Cybertruck Lead Engineer Wes Morrill piggybacked off a video made by YouTuber Bearded Tesla Guy, where he pointed out that the orange spots were not the stainless steel corroding, but from minuscule iron metal particles from either the factory or the train tracks the train used to transport the trucks were on.
"Good myth busting. Stainless is reactive and free iron that sits on it will rust," Morrill said in response to the video. "It's surface contamination only and can be cleaned off easily."
"Citrisuff77 can also loosen the deposit and simply wipe it off," he added, suggesting other cleaning methods. "If anything stubborn use a blue non-scratch Scotch Brite pad as it won't leave any marks on the metal."
Good myth busting. Stainless is reactive and free iron that sits on it will rust. It's surface contamination only and can be cleaned off easily. Bar Keeper's Friend used here works well, citrisurf77 can also loosen the deposit and simply wipe it off. If anything stubborn use a… https://t.co/HD3Xeo0inH
— Wes (@wmorrill3) February 16, 2024
In a reply asking Morill how often they should clean their Cybertruck below his post, the Cybertruck Lead noted that they could "clean it anytime or don't," depending on the concerns of the owner - noting that the stains are not the base stainless steel.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also appeared to back up his engineer, writing a simple "Yeah" in response to the post.
In another post on X, the engineer criticized the "MSM [mainstream media] coverage about rust," saying that none of the associated coverage showed "actual photos." Additionally, he claimed that Tesla's stainless steel has a higher "resistance to pitting corrosion" than 316L stainless steel.
A lot of MSM coverage about rust. None show actual photos, usually a good indicator to question the accuracy. Side by side with a painted vehicle, this is surface contamination.
— Wes (@wmorrill3) February 20, 2024
Tesla SS actually has a PREN value (resistance to pitting corrosion) higher than 316L "marine grade" pic.twitter.com/sxZNl8wfzL
During the Cybertruck delivery presentation in November 2023, Elon Musk said that the truck was made from a "special, ultra-strong Tesla-designed steel alloy."
"This metal did not exist before. We needed something that we could actually manufacture – that would have basically no corrosion, didn't need paint, but you could still make it in volume."
In the Cybertruck owners manual, Tesla recommends to "immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, etc.)," to prevent damage to the exterior.
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