Tesla is going through one of the most intense years in its history... Things are definitely not going according to plan (wonder why?). Musk-led protests, the
So, most metals will work harden when flexed even before reaching the yield point, while steel does not. This hardening of the metal will eventually cause metal fatigue and failure.
This does not rule out aluminum as a structural metal. Look at airplanes, there are 70 year old Cessnas still in service with semi-monocoque aluminum airframes.
As for cars a LOT of cars have aluminum or composite frames. The Mercedes SL, the Audi A8, the BMW i8, manufactured in Europe with aluminum chassis. Several makes from America and the far East have aluminum frames as well; Chevrolet Corvettes have had partial aluminum frames since the 90’s and GM started making all-aluminum frames for the Z06 models circa 2005, the Acura NSX has an aluminum frame.
Most cars are made of steel because it’s cheap, not by requirement.
Thank you for the informative comment. I have mild interest in materials science and I wasn’t aware of that property of steel v aluminum and other metals
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So, most metals will work harden when flexed even before reaching the yield point, while steel does not. This hardening of the metal will eventually cause metal fatigue and failure.
This does not rule out aluminum as a structural metal. Look at airplanes, there are 70 year old Cessnas still in service with semi-monocoque aluminum airframes.
As for cars a LOT of cars have aluminum or composite frames. The Mercedes SL, the Audi A8, the BMW i8, manufactured in Europe with aluminum chassis. Several makes from America and the far East have aluminum frames as well; Chevrolet Corvettes have had partial aluminum frames since the 90’s and GM started making all-aluminum frames for the Z06 models circa 2005, the Acura NSX has an aluminum frame.
Most cars are made of steel because it’s cheap, not by requirement.
Thank you for the informative comment. I have mild interest in materials science and I wasn’t aware of that property of steel v aluminum and other metals