What is the re-usability of the truck once it's been in a collision?

[leducjjr]

Hi all,

I'm not yet convinced to sign up for one of these yet. I've a number of questions. This topic is on re-usability of the truck once it's been in a collision.

Has anyone seen specs or details - or have any experience in working on repairs to the stainless steel material used for this vehicle? Also, what is the reliability of this vehicle and the exoskeleton after it's been in an accident? The old VW beetles could be hammered back in shape but this is obviously not an option here.

I've been driving since the mid 80s, and in the last year and a half my commute has increased to 600+ miles per week. I've seen a few collisions and have been part of them myself. Here are the main types I'm interested in to see how this type of vehicle performs.

Specifically, how 'repairable' or 'reusable' is the CT after these types of collisions?

In some of these cases the vehicle would be totalled by the insurance company. But totalled vehicles can be parted out. If my buying one of these means I'll eventually be filling a landfill with a huge, unusable mass of unbreakable metal, I really don't want one. My grandkids will have to deal with the collective mess left behind by all of us excited new users, and that's not a legacy I want to pass on.

1. Standard front or rear-end collision where the hit is done under 20 mph. The usual type at stop and go traffic conditions.

2. T-bone collision where someone has run a light and broadsides the CT. Collision speed is between 30 and 50 mph.

3. Sideswipe where someone veers into the CT's lane and clips it at any corner. The speed differential could be anywhere from 5 to 20 mph.

4. Offset collision where the two vehicles collide at near head-on impact, making this more deadly than full head-on collision. Speed of both vehicles are between 40 and 60 mph. This is common in rural areas where someone drifts over on a highway or farm-to-market road.

Kind regards
John

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[Devix]

This is an interesting question.
I think that Tesla thought about it.
Like for Model S and X, that have aluminum body, Tesla service centers will be trained to cope with this steel.

 

[leducjjr]

I'm thinking we could leverage Delorean users and track records regarding repairs, like the sites I link to below.

Deloreans are different however in that they used a standard body-on-frame and not an exoskeleton like the CT.

https://store.delorean.com/t-faq.aspx#stainlessrepairs

http://www.noroads.com/delorean/3281/?content=20100110

etc.

 

[CarsBarsMars]

Steel doesnt go into landfills. Unless you stuff the crashed truck into a regular hopper truck that picks up curbside trash. A Cybertruck would have to be processed similar to a Prius before going into a landfill....all the batteries and dangerous parts will need to be removed, then the frame body and interior are crushed (that will be interesting with the stronger steel) then the remaining lump of slag is shredded and a magnet pulls all the ferrous materials. If there is a lot of gold or copper in various components, there may be aftermarket shops that will recycle your CT for a nominal fee....since they may be able to profit on it.

 

[Eye of Elon]

I doubt stainless steel would end up in a landfill, according to scrap metal buyers, it looks relatively valuable.

https://iscrapapp.com/prices/

 

[leducjjr]

Fair enough and I appreciate the input on scrapping the vehicle's body parts. It looks like my concern about leaving loads of these littering the future's landscape isn't a big concern.

But say I'm in a not-so-serious accident in an intersection that whacks the vehicle around pretty hard. It's driveable but the shell is damaged. It's also a used vehicle out of original manufacturer warranty.

I'm interested in how a damaged CT exoskeleton can be repaired and if it's still safe for travel after a serious collision. If not, am I replacing the entire exterior? Might be less expensive to buy a replacement used CT instead.

Please note that I'm not arguing against purchasing one of these. I'm simply trying to understand the long-term ownership risk associated with this special type of vehicle.

 

[CarsBarsMars]

I don’t know how the law is in your area, but I plan to keep collusion insurance on the vehicle. The premium for insurance is your best metric for how expensive they are to repair and how resistant they are to minor damage. Like any vehicle there is a simple percentage of loss calculated by your insurer which will determine when they write off the car and give you a check then take your car. It is generally not a wise idea to try and keep your car once the insurance company wrote it off, you’ll get less money from them and the repair bills will be about the same. You may find it impossible to insure it once it’s been totaled.
I would imagine that given the steel used, Tesla will eventually offer a recycling service for heavily damaged CTs that will be happy to take your insurance settlement as a down payment.
As for the repair ability of small impacts, all vehicles must have both pedestrian safety measures and 5mph bumpers, that means a sub assembly attached to the steel frame which absorbs minor impacts and deforms in major impacts. If the force carries through to the frame and causes frame damage I imagine the repairs past that point are very expensive. Replacing a trucks bumper is a common repair.
Beyond that very general comment it’s impossible to predict what it would cost. There are simply too many variables.

if you’re worried about it, a $50-70k truck probably isn’t the best bet for you. Try a used vehicle with a history of cheap bodywork.

 

[leducjjr]

Agreed on the insurance and logic you provided around that idea. A colleague mentioned to me today about Tesla's auto insurance programme. Quite interesting and exciting really.

My questions aren't to find out how to make do on as little maintenance cost as possible. If that was my intent then I'd keep my F150 rolling along forever or until fossil fuels are no longer available

My questions are more to understand the long range impact this type of vehicle will have on our environment and on the used car purchase and repair market. Not everyone will buy a brand new model under warranty. My kids won't at first until they have some serious income flowing in. I may, just to support the effort and to give the kids something to buy/inherit from me.

Here's a link to a report on the insurance details offered by Tesla:

https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-liberty-mutual-create-customize-insurance-package-2017-10