Tesla Cybertruck Might Offer Scratch-Proof Tungsten Carbide Coating

Elon Musk said the body coating would make the Cybertruck "scratch-proof to everything below diamond hardness."

By: Dan Mihalascu

Sep 14, 2023 at 11:29am ET

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A lot of wild claims have been made about the Tesla Cybertruck over the years, and most of them came from CEO Elon Musk himself.

For example, about a year ago Tesla's CEO said the Cybertruck would be able to "cross rivers, lakes, and even seas that aren't too choppy" thanks to a so-called Boat Mode. Musk said the Cybertruck "will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat," with thrust coming from wheel rotation.

We haven't heard anything about the Cybertruck's sailing abilities since, and Tesla hasn't explained another ridiculous claim either – that the Cybertruck has "the ability to pull near infinite mass." These exact words are still used on Tesla's website, mind you.

You can now add another eyebrow-raising feature of the Cybertruck to that list, namely that it will be "scratch-proof" to basically everything that's not as strong as diamonds. While its stainless steel body is a good prerequisite for body durability, it's certainly not enough to make the electric truck immune to scratches.

However, Elon Musk suggested in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) that Tesla might be able to offer an option that would make the truck scratch-proof.

"We might be able to offer an optional tungsten carbide coating, which is basically scratch-proof to everything below diamond hardness," Musk replied to an X user who claimed that people who will "try to key a Cybertruck will be ruining their keys."

Considering the number of keying incidents involving parked Teslas over the years, this would be a great option. However, the idea of using tungsten carbide as a coating for the Cybertruck certainly sounds wild, mainly because no other automaker has used it to cover the body of a production car before.

It would not be the first time the material has been used in the auto industry, though. Porsche has used tungsten carbide coated brake rotors for its sports cars to slow wear, prevent rust, and eliminate brake dust.

What do you think?

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According to German chemical giant Linde (via Teslarati), when combined with a small portion of metallic powder, tungsten carbide can be turned into carbide coatings known for strong resistance to abrasion, erosion, and wear.

Who knows, maybe Tesla has been testing this optional tungsten carbide coating all along with the full-body wraps we've seen on prototypes in recent months.