Resistance spot welding method

A resistance spot welding method, comprising:

• applying a clamping force to a polymeric workpiece and a metallic workpiece in order to press the polymeric workpiece against the metallic workpiece, wherein the metallic workpiece includes a textured surface facing the polymeric workpiece, and an electrically conductive coating is disposed on the textured surface;
• piercing the polymeric workpiece with first and second electrically conductive pins of a welding electrode assembly;
• applying electrical energy to the first and second electrically conductive pins so that an electrical current flows through the first electrically conductive pin, the electrically conductive coating, and the second electrically conductive pin in order to at least partially melt the polymeric workpiece and the electrically conductive coating, thereby forming a weld pool;
• and
• cooling the weld pool so as to form a solid weld nugget in order to establish a mechanical interface lock between the solid weld nugget and the textured surface, wherein the mechanical interface lock interconnects the polymeric workpiece to the metallic workpiece.