Tesla has done something
Tesla has done something totally awesome and unprecedented in the automotive industry with the Cybertruck. I believe they are introducing the very first vehicle with NO designed obsolescence. Tesla motors are designed to last a million miles. Tesla batteries coming soon are designed to last a million miles (search YouTube for "million mile battery"). How do you design a pickup truck body to last a million miles? a) Make it out of stainless steel. b) Make it thick stainless steel for strength, damage resistance, and durability. c) Use highly break-resistant glass (given SpaceX's experience with early explosions and perfecting designs, I have no doubt the armor glass will perform correctly in production). d) Give it long range and make it affordable. e) Make the structural design mainly triangles for the highest strength since thick stainless steel can only be bent by powerful sheet metal brakes. f) Given these physics constraints, might as well make it look futuristic and cutting-edge.
Add in autonomous driving within a few years and the resultant enormous decrease in accidents and at an average of 13,500 miles per year, a million miles = 74 YEARS lifetime.
Given that lifespan, futuristic looks are important. 74 years ago was 1945, how do 1945 cars look now? (Think old antiques).
Given my current age, an autonomous vehicle makes a LOT of sense. When I'm too old to drive, I'll still have complete mobility as the truck will drive me where I need to go. In fact, with the Tesla Network, I can rent it out when I don't need it and live on the income! Damn, this is sounding better and better! How about renting it out from day one and it paying for itself?
How about if Tesla adds Robo-Plowing capability with short-range radar detection of the plow corners, curbs, road edges, and parked or abandoned cars buried in snowbanks and invisible through heavy snowfall. They currently have a forward looking radar as part of their sensor suite. How about streets and roads actually plowed full width all winter long without damaging either curbs or your plow? So while I'm warm in bed my Cybertruck Robo-Plow can be doing a plowing route earning me money while I sleep! Sounds like two or three Robo-Plows in my future, but I'll wait until the first one's working.
So if the body lasts a million miles, what if it lasts two or three million? Rebuild the motors (change bearings) each million, possibly replace the battery pack. And when it eventually is retired, totally recycle the body and motors and batteries. Of course the batteries could be used in stationary storage (Powerwall, Powerpack, and Megapacks) for another few decades before being recycled.
This is revolutionary. Really totally minimizing lifetime embedded energy. Able to be totally run on renewable, sustainable energy. No designed obsolescence. This is a first in automotive history. I salute you and your team, Elon Musk!