Tesla’s patent details a 300-series stainless steel that it claims to be tougher and harder than other steel alloys.
BYCHRIS ROSALES|PUBLISHED FEB 25, 2023 7:00 PM
Here is a great article from The Drive about Tesla’s patented steel alloy that is harder than any other steel.
The Tesla Cybertruck is indeed still in development. Though news on the thing is scarce, especially its release date, there’s been scattered news on it, like seeing the prototype with mirrors and a massive central wiper in 2021. The latest: Tesla has filed a patent application for a steel alloy that will envelop the exoskeleton of the Cybertruck.
According to Electrek, the steel is supposed to outperform other typical automotive-grade alloys. In its patent filing, Tesla outlines fairly detailed specifications on the Vicker’s hardness scale, corrosion resistance, ductility, and tensile strength. For the nerds, it will range from 420 HV to 500 HV on hardness, have 520 mV to 600 mV corrosion resistance, a ductility of 60 degrees bend angle at 1.8mm thickness, and a yield strength of 1100 MPa.
The automaker doesn’t explicitly say that it will use the alloy on the Cybertruck in the patent but does note that it could be used in a vehicle with an exoskeleton. It also seems like a major focus of this alloy is corrosion resistance, with the patent filing stating that “In some embodiments, the corrosion resistance of the monolithic metal sheet allows for the exterior panel of the vehicle to be utilized without application of an anticorrosion coating or corrosion protective agent (e.g. paint).“
