Tesla wants you to know that the Cybertruck isn’t rusting despite what you may have seen online.
If you’ve followed the news surrounding the EV maker’s first pickup, there is an excellent chance you’ve seen reports that its stainless-steel body is already rusting. Now the vehicle’s head engineer, Wes Morrill, has come forward to explain that is not what is happening.
Rust-gate, as it has now been dubbed, began earlier this month when some members of the Cybertruck Owners Club forum began posting about finding orange specks that looked an awful lot like rust on the body of the EV after leaving it out in the rain. This caused quite a stir, despite not being accompanied by photographic or video proof. A new vehicle isn’t supposed to rust within months of leaving the factory after all—especially if it’s covered in corrosion-resistant stainless steel and costs just shy of six figures (the early examples of the EV being built are Cyberbeast variants that start at around $99,900).
TJ
While plenty of people have laughed at the news of the Cybertruck’s alleged premature rusting, there have also been those who’ve leaped to the EV’s defense (which tends to be the case with anything involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk). One such person is the YouTuber Bearded Tesla Guy, who posted a video last week explaining that the rust people have seen on the pickup is actually oxidation and that it can be easily cleaned with household cleaners.
The video appears to have caught Morrill’s attention, according to Automotive News. The engineer posted a link to the video on X, and wrote: “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.”
Morrill’s comments suggest the Cybertruck is just attracting unsightly surface contamination, which also sounds like a problem. He also wrote that affected Cybertruck owners pick up some Bar Keepers Friend and a Scotch Brite pad to clean off the spots. Musk would seem to agree, writing “Yeah” in response to the post.
Fortunately, Morrill’s suggested solutions won’t put Cybertruck owners out too much. A 12-ounce canister of Bar Keepers Friend goes for less than $10 on Amazon. The same goes for an eight-pack of Scotch Brite pads. If they do feel like spending more money, Tesla now offers five different color wraps (Satin Rose Gold, Satin Abyss Blue, Slip Grey, Satin Stealth Black, and Satin Ceramic White) for the EV on its website, which range in price from $6,000 to $6,500. They, presumably, will offer some protection from surface contaminants.
