this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Because Musk wanted to make a vehicle out of stainless steel and straight panels are the easiest/cheapest to form.
Straight panels are much harder to make as every bend and minor imperfection show up. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/13/why-the-cybertruck-is-so-hard-to-manufacture.html
Why do you think cars are never made with straight panels?
Straight stainless is easier.
If it was really that thick plate it would be, but making any modern vehicle (that’s not meant for military use in hostile territory) out of thick plate is fucking stupid. And keeping thin stainless flat is really tricky, it wants to have at least a bit of curve to stay rigid. It asoc doesn’t like consistent forming, which is why nobody since Delorean has bothered.
Both for weight, and economy, but also for accident safety—good luck of you’re not also in an armored car, and occupant safety, since the crumble zones are greatly reduced and going to transfer way more energy into your soft tissues and internal organs.
But you can throw a rubber baseball at it just fine at least.