1st Tesla Model 3 might be Produced Today!

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I'm hearing complete, first one rolls off the line today (maybe!). Then 30 are delivered July 28 to new owners.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tesla-s-big-day-1.4195974
This video is very good. A fast talking tech savvy expert lays out the issues. Cool and interesting.

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Guess I'd wait a bit before buying one.
There are already ~500,000 paid reservations for the Model 3, so you will need to wait a "bit".
About 2 years to be exact.
 
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Originally Posted By: AZjeff
...Does this mean the cars they build will be mostly complete? Guess I'd wait a bit before buying one.


I would wait 3 years or more. Tesla is taking shortcuts that other manufacturers do not. Early customers will be the beta testers.

http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-is-making-manufacturing-mistake-with-model-3-2017-5

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Surprise number two is that Tesla intends to bypass the manufacturing prototype stage and go straight to full production, rolling cars off the assembly line and into customers' driveways.

"Most automakers test a new model's production line by building vehicles with relatively cheap, prototype tools designed to be scrapped once they deliver doors that fit, body panels with the right shape and dashboards that don't have gaps or seams," Reuters reported.

"Tesla, however, is skipping that preliminary step and ordering permanent, more expensive equipment as it races to launch its Model 3 sedan by a self-imposed volume production deadline of September."
 
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Tesla has a lot of detractors who really want to see the brand fail.
smirk.gif

I don't get it.
It's great technology. And the cars are fast and quiet.
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
I would wait 3 years or more. Tesla is taking shortcuts that other manufacturers do not. Early customers will be the beta testers.

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Surprise number two is that Tesla intends to bypass the manufacturing prototype stage and go straight to full production, rolling cars off the assembly line and into customers' driveways.

It could work if new technology is applied. A big "IF", to be sure. If they pull this off, its a game changer.
Tesla sees this as the next evolution of "rapid prototyping". They have to be using a ton of computer 3D simulation (build it in virtual reality, then transfer the methods to the floor....).
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
If I were a major poser I'd want one of those real bad.

The current Tesla Model S's 0-60 of 3.2 seconds ain't posing.
The new Model 3's 0-60 of 5.6 sec ain't bad.
They humble old school gas-clowns.
 
These cars benefit from not having to have IC engines and mechanical transmissions or IC engines and mechanical transmissions combined with electric motors and large capacity battery packs along with all the software to make all of this work together. Got to find some space for a fuel tank in these two as well. They need only electric motors, large capacity battery packs and a software suite that must be simpler than something like a Prius would require.
Therefore, development can be fairly quick as compared to an IC engine driven or hybrid car.
The question in my mind is whether Tesla can sell 250K units a year at current fuel prices.
If gas were still flirting with four bucks plus, I have little doubt that the market demand would be there.
With fuel around two bucks, I'm not sure that it will be.
I'm also not sure that the electric grids in many areas could support the large addition in demand that would be created by large numbers of daily-driver EVs.
 
Originally Posted By: bioburner
Didn't Tesla stock just take a huge dump?


Yup. People are starting to see through the smoke and mirrors. Cool cars, just the long term profitability is way sketchy. Once the states figure out how to tax EV's like they do gas cars you'll see the bottom drop out. Right now they get a "free lunch" in most places with no gas, road, etc taxes and special privileges. Not to mention the grid can't handle a mass transfer to electric cars.
 
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Originally Posted By: fdcg27
They need only electric motors, large capacity battery packs and a software suite that must be simpler than something like a Prius would require.


There's a lot that has to go into battery management to make sure those LiIon cells don't go BOOM during charge and use. Granted the larger LiIon packs are a little safer than, say, a Samsung phone battery but there have already been fires in EV's.
 
All electric cars have a few issues, one is heating the car with batteries, and another is charging. More vehicles means more competing to get into a charging station that's free. Home charging at high amps is not feasible for many homes, and is expensive.
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
If I were a major poser I'd want one of those real bad.

The current Tesla Model S's 0-60 of 3.2 seconds ain't posing.
The new Model 3's 0-60 of 5.6 sec ain't bad.
They humble old school gas-clowns.


What reason does anyone have to go 0-60 in three seconds? What's the point of it? Anyone can place their body in the same machine, so what does it prove? The Chevy Bolt is already on the roads and with tax incentives and discounts in my area I could get one for about 23k plus tax and license. I don't like the idea of range anxiety though. It all is not quite as good as it sounds on paper. The first awakening will be waiting a couple hours or more for other people to finish charging at a Tesla station with nothing to do but wait.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I'm also not sure that the electric grids in many areas could support the large addition in demand that would be created by large numbers of daily-driver EVs.


Then tesla can sell them battery packs to supply the grid at peak hours.
 
Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I'm also not sure that the electric grids in many areas could support the large addition in demand that would be created by large numbers of daily-driver EVs.


Then tesla can sell them battery packs to supply the grid at peak hours.


Which will work just fine until demand reaches a level where there are no off-peak hours available to charge these massive battery packs.
The whole concept of peak and off-peak would be turned on its head if every twentieth house had an EV charging in its garage every night.
 
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110...esting-is-risky

Quote:
Tesla is taking a major gamble regarding the production of its upcoming Model 3 sedan in skipping prototype tooling and jumping straight to permanent production tooling, says a noted auto-manufacturing expert...

"He's pushing the envelope to see how much time and cost he can take out of the process," Ron Harbour, a manufacturing consultant at Oliver Wyman, told Reuters...

If Model 3 production begins and faults are discovered in tooling or the processes, it could cost millions of dollars to replace tools and fix defects, and it could even potentially halt production altogether, according to Harbour…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered up his reasoning behind the decision, saying advanced computer simulation technology has allowed the company to skip the usual beta period...
 
Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I'm also not sure that the electric grids in many areas could support the large addition in demand that would be created by large numbers of daily-driver EVs.


Then tesla can sell them battery packs to supply the grid at peak hours.

Yeah more products that take more carbon and rare Earth materials to manufacture and dispose of. And what happens when you can't keep up with peak and off peak demand. Or there is no "off-peak"....
 
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