I think Tesla did some cool things with it, but I think it's a little too early to label it as an engineering breakthrough. I'm not convinced some of the things they did and decisions they made (one large wiper, the stainless steel is susceptible to surface corrosion, various pinch points, weak control arms) will hold up over time

> no paint ( better durability)

And yet there were still durability issues with the truck? My understanding is that there were many manufacturing issues, and it also experienced several recalls.

The lack of paint is the only cool part

It's a hulking pile of shit built to be hostile to the people and things it shares an environment with. The middle fingers and thumbs downs people aim at them are fully deserved by the buyer and driver. They don't fit in parking spaces and are driven by people who think they're the main character of earth. I look forward to the day when the last one melts from a faulty battery fire.

Maybe through a very specific engineering perspective it was interesting. From a broader engineering perspective it was embarrassing. It is called a truck, very much not a truck. Nearly no actual utility. No hauling capability. No durability. Falls apart because it is glued together. Shows every place where someone brushed up against it. Poor fit to the operating environment.

I'll give you that it was a unique design. But if we're talking about engineering... it could not have promised more or delivered less.

> no paint ( better durability)

instead of paint/clearcoat getting scratched you can pit / etch / scar the raw metal!

I think the main breakthrough was cost-engineering: glued on panels, cast-aluminum frame, "metal" accelerator pedal glued onto a plastic component. Which is ironic considering how expensive the thing was.

I blame Tesla and their "giant iPad" interiors for many of the cost-cutting trends we see in cars today.