Tesla Cybertruck Gets a Stunning 24K Gold Makeover

Unconventional Cybertruck tuning
Covered with 24K pure gold
How much did it cost overall?

Vehicles are a means of transportation and an extension of individuality. Tesla’s electric pickup truck, Cybertruck, draws attention with its simple yet powerful design as the basis for expressing such individuality. Although it is difficult to make major structural changes, tuning that applies new colors to the exterior is gaining popularity.

Recently, the Cybertruck drew considerable attention with its polished matte body panels that were as smooth as a mirror. A startling revelation soon followed: the vehicle’s body had been completely plated with pure gold.

24K Pure Gold Instead of 14K
Unprecedented Method Employed

On June 6, the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything revealed a video showing the process of plating the exterior of the Cybertruck with gold. There have been several previous cases of actual gold plating on cars, but in most cases, 14K gold was used as the material. It is difficult to firmly bond it to the car body surface with 24K gold, which is virtually pure gold with a purity of 99%.

However, the YouTuber chose to plate the Cybertruck using 24K gold. The explanation is that thorough preparations and rigorous work were done to prevent the plated surface from peeling off. This work went through three major stages. First, an electric cleaner was used on the ultra-hard cold rolled stainless steel that makes up the Cybertruck body. The vehicle body panels were made hydrophilic by making them very dry and maintaining conductivity.

Work Spanned Over Four Days
Finished with a Special Film

Next, the surface of the body panels was smoothed and made capable of accepting the initial plating layer. A specific type of acid was used to break through the rust-resistant chromium oxide layer, which is said to have aided the initial charge of the pure gold. Lastly, the plating was done with cobalt and 24K pure gold. A titanium brush plated with platinum was used as the anode, and a copper electrode with a thin gold plate was used as the cathode.

Finally, other workers completed the work to attach a special protective film with a self-healing function. The film can partially protect the expensive 24K plating surface from external hazards such as scratches and bird droppings. The work, which involved considerable technology and materials, could be completed by three workers over four days.

The material cost alone is around $60,000
Giving a vehicle for free?

It may seem like a shorter work period than expected, but the process has not been smooth. Trial and error was involved as it was an unprecedented plating method, and several re-plating operations were also performed. So, how much did the tuning cost? First of all, the cost of materials alone amounted to $60,000.

Apart from labor costs, the total cost is bound to be much higher than this. However, the tuning company that did the work decided not to accept fees, and the plated Cybertruck will go to a lucky American. This hints at the possibility of an event where vehicles will be given away for free through a lottery. Meanwhile, the plated Cybertruck is a foundation series sold in limited quantities at the beginning of its launch and is priced at $102,235.