Can a CT be realistically kept outside?

[TennesseeCyber]

I live "next" to the Atlantic Fooking ocean. Right now because the AC is not running and the windows are open I can tell you the seas are probably 2ft because I hear a steady static from that direction.
I have had 3 new cars kept outside for the last 32 years.
A 1988 Mitsubishi colt which I used and took to my Ocean Lifeguard job so it got it about as much "Salt spray" as any car could. After 10 years it had a light sheen of rust forming inside the top roof panel of the hatchback when I traded it in for a
1998 Nissan pick-up which never went inside, and 11 years later had rust only where I scratched the paint off of it from misjudging my ability to lift a sofa over the edge, and even then the scratch had been there for 8 years, and I never washed the truck more than once a year. it was white...nothing cosmetic even.
2008 Dodge Pick-up Still driving, no rust at all. It's sitting in the driveway. I did spray in Linex as soon as I bought it, but just because I did not like anything about any pop-in bedliner.
So what the hell? How far apart can two minds be? I'd never even answer a poll about, "Can a CT be realistically kept outside?"

Relax, bud. As I said In my post, I’ve never purchased a new vehicle, let alone paid anywhere near what I’m planning to pay for this one. Typically, when people purchase $50-70k vehicles, they don’t leave them sitting outside. Like many others, my garage simply will not fit the CT, so I thought I would check in to see if I’m a bit crazy to just keep it outside. I’m glad it sounds like many others will do the same.
It will just give my neighbors something to admire... or gripe about. ?

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[Saskateam]

Just turn the rest of your yard and house into a post apocalyptic wasteland and no one will complain about the CT. They will think it fits the motif very well.

 

[Dakkon]

I don't get it, most trucks that have ever existed have been parked outside. Garages, except for the extremely wealthy, are a relatively new thing as general use and in much of the US are not actually used for vehicles. Meaning vehicles parked inside is a new construct. My F350 has never seen the inside of a garage. The Cybertruck most certainly does not need to be inside. The only real consideration is charging speed in extreme winters. Here in Montana my Moded 3 charges normally in the winter in the garage, not so outside when the temperature is below zero F. But I'm charging on a 120 v circuit, so there's that........

I think the thing to consider is the weathering on the finish and if you’re Ok with that look. It’s going to age just like any vehicle will, but with a coated, painted finish, we are all used to that look. but, those multi-layered finished also hide stress on the metal. I’d really like to see some weathering data on the exterior.

All that said I’m really excited for this vehicle. this will be my first EV.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

I have never had a car or truck that was parked in a/the garage, which is always packed with tools. For the past 30 years I have lived a couple hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean and the salt air destroys disk rotors on every vehicle but otherwise they have faired alright. I think this is a non issue for the cybertruck.

 

[Ehninger1212]

In my part of the country i have always been more concerned with sun damaging the paint, than salt water in the air, im about 50 miles from the Gulf coast. The cyber truck will pretty much cure all problems i have with sun damage. Also if it comes with solar, as standard or as an option, i will be purposely finding the sunniest spot to park .

 

[Wally]

the mice in my area would eat the wiring in less than a week if outside.

 

[TirNaOg]

Blasted Mice!
It will be nice not to see paint flaking off.
Poor Expedition has a bad case of that. Especially on my rear door.
For me tis the summertime sun. Melts the inside of my trucks.
Dodge rams steer wheel looked like a scene from Raiders of the lost Ark, when that fellow melted!
Same on the Ford just not as bad. { Wooden steering wheel at top }
I have found Sun Shields work great. wish I had done that before.

There's a taught! a sun shield for the glass just like they do for the vault!

 

[Owner13669]

Yeah I wonder the same, its 21F here now, my rusty road salt encrushed 2006 160K mile Toyota Tacoma lives outside, while the diesel tractor (Required to move the 8 foot snowbanks we get) lives inside the garage with the wifes 2017 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid.

The CT is too long for my garage, and even if I pulled it in I would not be able to get the doors open.
The Rav4 you can barely get the doors open in the garage.

So will an EV charge in 0F weather on the 220/240V charger?
Will the inverter and charge controller heat the battery up enough to charge it outside day after day sub 32F?

I have a Chevy bolt, parked outside. At 240 volt, it heats the battery, and charges overnight. If you parked in a heated garage, you might get a little more mileage, but that’s about it. At really low temps, mileages and charging speeds both drop. (DC fast charging). That being said, it drops more with the chevy than a Tesla, I believe.

 

[ldjessee]

Many EVs can be set to maintain a certain level of heating/cooling until the battery dropped to a certain level.

 

[SSonnentag]

All cars can be kept outside, unless their convertible roof is down.

 

[TyPope]

My F-350 also didn't stay in a garage till we moved to our current house because we've never had a large enough garage. The first hail storm here before finding a house convinced me that I'd rather have vehicles in the garage than a bunch of junk I don't really care about. So, we looked for a house with a large enough garage for my truck. We don't store a lot of stuff in the garage... Three vehicles, two motorcycles, my 8' workbench, toolbox, tool cabinet, and compressor go in the garage. The bikes stay there during riding weather after which they get put in a trailer for storage and the snow thrower gets garage space.) The F350 was (just sold it) 22' long and probably every bit as wide as the CT will be. My wife and daughter park in the two bay part (wife backs in and daughter pulls straight in so their driver's doors are in the same aisle. It would be difficult to use 3 aisles for 3 cars. We save the space which is how two motorcycles fit between them and my F-350 with enough room I can ride the motorcycle out on good days. This is convenient because once we pick up the MY, she's already used to backing in and that's where I put the charger(s).
I have seen zero houses in my area without garages though I know there must be some somewhere around here. We are not wealthy (for here, anyway) but have made good choices in life and are now in a position to enjoy the results of those choices.

Yes, the CT would survive outside... just like EVERY CAR EVER BUILT. I fail to see why the CT would be any different... That, and I was bored and felt like typing a bit... and now you are stuck with that.

 

[GarbageLalafell]

Interiors last longer when not exposed to extremes. If I leave my cybertruck outside I will still try to give it some shade or cover the windows from the sun. A car that is mostly parked indoors and under shade can have like new interior for many years.

 

[TyPope]

Interiors last longer when not exposed to extremes. If I leave my cybertruck outside I will still try to give it some shade or cover the windows from the sun. A car that is mostly parked indoors and under shade can have like new interior for many years.

That's surely true but with better UV protection these days, it hardly matters when you are at the upper end of vehicles. Cheap ones don't have as good of protection but the good ones do. The Heat, on the other hand, could be an issue but not so much if you just set your CT to not let the cabin get above 100.

 

[Cyberman]

I'll start off by mentioning that I've been fortunate enough to live in sunny San Diego, CA since 1978. I've owned dozens of cars, some good, some pieces of crap. I've never felt a need to garage a car, they just sit out in front of the house. End of story. Who's got room for a car in the garage, anyway? Maybe on Mars, but here in the US of A, garages are for all the shit you don't want in your house.

 

[TyPope]

I'll start off by mentioning that I've been fortunate enough to live in sunny San Diego, CA since 1978. I've owned dozens of cars, some good, some pieces of crap. I've never felt a need to garage a car, they just sit out in front of the house. End of story. Who's got room for a car in the garage, anyway? Maybe on Mars, but here in the US of A, garages are for all the shit you don't want in your house.

LOL... I keep 3 cars in my garage. Why would you keep your crap inside and the expensive thing outside? Hmm....