Tesla Considered Other Innovative Ways to Color the Cybercab

Tesla’s Cybercab utilizes color-infused plastic panels created through reaction injection molding (RIM) rather than traditional paint, but new details reveal the company tested alternative coloring methods before finalizing this approach.

What Happened

In a recent discussion with Munro Live, Tesla Engineering VP Lars Moravy and Cybercab lead Eric Earley explained that the team initially considered in-mold lamination and a film-over-panel approach. In-mold lamination involves placing a vinyl film inside a mold and molding plastic onto it, while the film-over-panel method applies a painted film to a stamped panel that is then pressed and folded over the edges. Tesla advanced sufficiently with in-mold lamination to use it on the Semi, which recently entered high-volume production in Nevada. However, RIM was ultimately selected because it is faster and more cost-effective for panels with varying shapes, adding only a step inside the existing molding process.

Why It Matters

The decision to bypass traditional paint aligns with Tesla’s goal of reducing manufacturing complexity and cost. Moravy described the paint shop as one of the most expensive parts of a factory, costing hundreds of millions of dollars and roughly a million man-hours to construct. Eliminating paint also supports Tesla’s unboxed manufacturing process, where the Cybercab is assembled from separate front, rear, floor, and side modules. Running these individual segments through a paint shop would have required re-boxing them, negating the efficiency gains of the unboxed model. Tesla claims this approach could theoretically allow for the production of one Cybercab every 10 seconds at full capacity. Additionally, the RIM process eliminates the need for e-coating in many areas, as the aluminum alloys used in the Cybercab’s castings do not oxidize or lose strength over time in the same way other alloys do. For owners, the RIM panels offer distinct maintenance advantages; the team stated they get "no orange peel" on the finish, and scratches can be repaired "just like you would normal paint shop" because the color goes all the way through the panel. This durability supports the vehicle's design target to run "half a million miles at least."

The Bottom Line

Tesla’s adoption of RIM for the Cybercab represents a significant shift in vehicle finishing, prioritizing manufacturing speed, cost reduction, and ease of repair over traditional aesthetics. While the company indicated plans to bring these ideas to future vehicles, current Cybercab production outpaces deployment capabilities, as the vehicles are limited to the Robotaxi network in Austin. Expansion is expected with rides launching in Dallas next month and potential customer deliveries before the end of the year.