Here’s How Tesla Manufactures The Cybertruck’s ‘Bulletproof’ Doors

Ever since being introduced in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck hasn’t ceased to generate intrigue. After all, how could it not, with such a polarizing design choice that stands out from anything you’ve ever seen, and specs that rival those of gas-powered sports cars? Heck, it even made our list of vehicles that we would like to see in GTA 6. And, again, how could it not? With its unorthodox styling and flashy performance, stainless-steel frame, and bulletproof doors?

That last detail has recently attracted the attention of Munro Live, a YouTube channel known for its engineering expertise and vehicle reviews. Munro & Co were given a tour of the Texas-based Gigafactory, where the Tesla Model Y is also built. So, as we wait for the flagship e-truck to populate the streets en masse, here’s the story and the secret, behind the stainless-steel, bullet-proof doors of the Cybertruck.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Munro Live YouTube Channel and Tesla, and other authoritative sources including Reuters.

A Process Filled With Innovation

The Cybertruck seems to be the company’s next crown jewel. Its polarizing, yet ingenious design does everything to indicate that. After all, Elon Musk went as far as to call it Tesla’s best product ever, in his typical superlative fashion. It is only a matter of time before consumers can put those claims to the test. For now, the truck is doing a great job garnering attention and captivating the imagination, notably that of Munro Live, as we’ll discuss below.

Some interesting things about the Tesla Cybertruck

• A 6×4 foot truck
• Stainless-steel super alloy exterior
• 48V architecture
• Shatter-resistant armor glass, capable of withstanding a baseball at 70mph
• Bulletproof doors
• Electronically adaptive air suspension

The Doors Were Made Thinner, But They’re Still Just As Robust

As Munro is touring the Gigafactory, he is shown a huge scrapyard for the stainless steel. The square panels of the Cybertruck make it relatively easy to repurpose the junk from the scrapyard, explains Moravy. This effectively allows for an 80-percent utilization, a figure that Munro couldn’t help but be impressed by.

“Our doors are 1.8mm thick, and all the other parts like the sails and the hoods are 1.4 mm.“ Explained the Lead Engineer of the straightening line. Tesla engineers had to go out of their way to get these measures on the stainless steel, as they wanted a thin, but efficient body. The original doors were 2.53mm thick, so the team resorted to ductility performing, to obtain a thinner material, while also preserving the desired strength and bulletproof toughness, explained Lars Moravy, who works as Vice-President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla.

Tesla Uses A One-of-a-kind Laser To Build Its Doors

The magic begins with a machine that first straightens the coils before they’re put under a laser that cuts up to 30 microns. The lead engineer explains that the laster is one of a kind, in that regard, and was specially developed in a joint venture between Tesla and German industrial equipment manufacturer Schuler for that very purpose.

The Gigafactory in Texas has 21 operating furnaces at the site, all manufactured by Swedish company AP&T. The stainless steel sheets are first brought to these furnaces and heated to 900 degrees Celsius (1,652 Fahrenheit). A robot then proceeds to pick them up before dropping them into a stamping press within a few seconds. The engineering team further specified that no welding was required at any stage since the coils are “tuned” to the parts.

The Cybertruck’s market appeal has been a mixture of gimmicky features and off-roading practicality. While consumers might not have clamored for bulletproof doors, one could easily argue that it is better to have them and not need them, than vice versa.

Tesla Cybertruck Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Tesla)

You Can Empty An Entire Submachine Gun On The Doors, Without Hitting The Cockpit

One of the main selling points of the Cybertruck is its bulletproof doors. During the initial launch in 2019, the company immediately claimed that the electric off-roader would be made of the same stainless steel used by Space-X for its Starship Aircraft. During the Cybertruck’s production reveal on November 30, 2023, Elon Musk once again reinforced those claims, with footage this time.

The video showed the truck being shot at with .45 and 9mm ammo, courtesy of both a submachine gun and a handgun. Elon had previously bragged about the flagship e-truck being able to withstand the entire drum of a Tommy gun “Al Capone style” without sustaining any damage to the cabin.

The Stainless Steel And Unconventional Door-Buttons Can Be Problematic

Aside from its robustness, the Cybertruck is also somewhat…quirky. You might not have noticed the absence of handles on the production model at first glance, but rest assured, they’re nowhere to be found. That is because the company chose to place the open buttons on the B- and C-pillars instead. The buttons allow you to pop the door by about two inches, so you can grab it and pull it open manually.

Innovate as it might be, this design choice does not sit well with everyone. Some consumers have complained that the stainless steel was a magnet for fingerprints, as shown above, and thus having to grab it repeatedly could lead to some serious visual pollution.

The Anticipated Cybertruck Is Plagued By Production Delays

Now, you might be wondering when the electric behemoth will eventually take over the streets. Unfortunately, the answer is…not yet.

While the truck has already been released, it isn’t expected to flood the roads anytime soon, as the production process finds itself impeded by a few hiccups, notably related to the underlying battery technology. These issues are particularly problematic, considering that, by virtue of being a pick-up truck, the electric off-roader is effectively part of one of the best-selling vehicle categories in the United States, as evidenced by the success of the Ford F-150.

Production Quotas Won’t Be Met Until 2025

Being infinitely complex and ambitious, the Cybertruck has posed several obstacles at the production level. During the company’s earnings call in October 2023, Elon Musk was notably caught expressing how challenging it is to manufacture the Cybertruck on a large scale.

“We dug our own grave with the Cybertruck,” Musk said. “And special products that come along once in a long while are just incredibly difficult to bring to market to reach volume, to be prosperous. It’s fundamental to the nature of the newness.”

Musk also said that he expects to reach the targeted annual Cybertruck production volume of 200,000 units in 2025. The current Cybertruck annual production capacity, according to Tesla, is at 125,000+ units in the Texas Gigafactory. Musk had previously explained on May 16, 2023, during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting, that the production would go through an S-curve, meaning the company would gradually ramp up the output.

Tesla’s 4680 Batteries Are Slowing Down Production, According To Reuters

While Tesla is pretty optimistic about hitting a quarter-million production quota for the Cybertruck in 2025, the current circumstances are making it difficult. In December 2023, Reuters published an article explaining that one of the main bottlenecks impeding the production of the Cybertruck is the pace at which Tesla can make its 4680 batteries. The latter is an in-house developed lithium-ion battery format, which was first used on the Tesla Model Y.

At the present pace, Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas is only churning out enough 4680 batteries to power 24,000 Cybertrucks a year, according to Reuters calculations based on both public data and private sources. The outlet spoke to nine anonymous people, who said that Tesla was facing problems with the anode, which is the priciest element of the battery. While the EV maker seems to be doing perfectly fine dry-coating the anode, it is reportedly struggling to replicate the same process with the anode.

According to Yuan Gao, a battery technology consultant, these hiccups are due to the “newness” previously mentioned by Elon Musk. Tesla is, in fact, the first one trying to implement this process for large batteries, on a mass scale, and for commercial purposes. Thus, speeding up the operation might turn out to be nothing short of herculean, according to Gao, who further explained that Tesla would need to develop its own equipment if it wishes to attain its project targets.