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A Cybertruck owner has revealed why he will not be driving the Tesla-owned beast this winter.
For those who thought the new design of the electric-only Jaguar Type 00 was divisive, we imagine Elon Musk is pretty happy that something else is taking the heat off the Cybertruck. Following its reveal in 2019 at the famed event where Franz von Holzhausen smashed the 'Armored Glass' windows, the Cybertruck has continued grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. From getting trapped in a river and inadvertently turning into a boat to owners cracking glass by walking on the roof, the Cybertruck has also been accused of having 'wet noodle' windscreen wipers, and we've seen adult film stars shoot holes in their 'bulletproof' vehicles.
More recently, there have been concerns about how the Cybertruck can cope with adverse weather conditions. The futuristic vehicle looks like it's designed to withstand a snowy apocalypse with specialized tires and such, but away from seeing a concerning safety issue with snow buildup, one owner has vowed to give up their Cybertruck for the winter.
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Cybertruck owner Jacob from Michigan wrote on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum and shared his fears that salt on the roads could lead to his shiny Cybertruck rusting: "It just started to snow here in Michigan, and with that comes SALT! I think I'm going to drive my old Cadillac Escalade while they are salting the roads this winter.”
Despite Musk hyping the Cybertruck as a vehicle that can stand virtually anything, the car's manual might suggest otherwise. The Cybertruck owner's manual seemingly says the following: "To prevent damage to the exterior, immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, etc.)."
Jacob notes that while he doubts road salt would lead to massive holes in the Cybertruck's stainless steel exterior, he's rightly worried it'll tarnish it. After all, you don't spend a minimum of $100k on a vehicle and not want it to look its best.
He continues: "Maybe it can be buffed out in the spring with Bar Keepers Friend? Then there is the galvanic corrosion that occurs between aluminum and stainless. I'm sure that the engineers at Tesla took that into consideration but how well? Anyway, just wanted to see what other members on Cybertruck Owners Club think about it."
My vehicles are bathed in salt 6 out of 12 months of the year.
— The Cybertruck Guy (@cybrtrkguy) January 15, 2024
This sounds concerning, but it’s common guidance for all vehicles, especially those with steel frames.
I’d hope Cybertruck has a bit more resistance to rust/corrosion than most, and this clause is for “compliance” https://t.co/oBNodoRaQP
Others in the thread were also concerned, with someone else writing: "I spoke with a local detailer / PPF installer who specializes in Cybertrucks. The owner owns one as well, and when I called inquiring about corrosion or staining, they said they did see some last winter and that they couldn't fully get the stains out."
A third worried driver added: "I wouldn’t worry about the SS exterior panels. It’s the front and rear steel A arm suspension components that would be my concern."
A fourth simply wrote: "Not much of a truck if you can't drive it in winter?"
Someone pointed out how Tesla has produced over seven million vehicles in the last decade and rigorous testing of various conditions will have taken place, but looking at the sometimes disastrous but hilarious incidents of Cybertrucks falling foul of modern-day living, we wouldn't say that counts for much. As for Jacob, it sounds like he'll be tucking his Cybertruck away for the winter.
