- First Name
- David
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- May 18, 2020
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- Massachusetts
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- Taycan, Tesla Model S, BMW i3
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- #1
An interesting take on "old school" vs "new school" (eg Tesla) development:
https://mondaynote.com/how-the-tesla-way-keeps-it-ahead-of-the-pack-358db5d52add
While Mr. Chain doesn't really get into them, there are clear downsides to the Tesla approach, and those of us who have had Teslas have experienced them. But there are some upsides, too.
Both sides can obviously learn from each other. But there's a definite "you should be happy we're letting you drive our car, stop whining" attitude in the Musk approach, vs. trying to release the highest possible quality product out of the gate.
A great, small example: my Model S was one of the first few thousand made. The car was, indeed, revolutionary, but was built very much with a California mindset - in the New England cold, the defroster basically didn't work, the door handles froze, the charge port froze, the charge plug "peg" froze. And while the car was generally great, and obviously well engineered from a safety standpoint, it just got a lot of the basics wrong. (Don't get me started on the truly terrible seats in the old cars, the gearboxes that would machine themselves to bits, the steering rack issues, the AC compressor issues...)
There is, obviously, value in aggressively moving forward, especially with regard to electrification. But that shouldn't involve disrespecting the investment your customers are making. Customers shouldn't be "taking one for the team".
Anyway, the fact that Tesla has been a force for change is good: we wouldn't be here, doing this, if it weren't for them. But if you're going to move at warp speed, perhaps checking the torque on the drive system is wise?
https://mondaynote.com/how-the-tesla-way-keeps-it-ahead-of-the-pack-358db5d52add
While Mr. Chain doesn't really get into them, there are clear downsides to the Tesla approach, and those of us who have had Teslas have experienced them. But there are some upsides, too.
Both sides can obviously learn from each other. But there's a definite "you should be happy we're letting you drive our car, stop whining" attitude in the Musk approach, vs. trying to release the highest possible quality product out of the gate.
A great, small example: my Model S was one of the first few thousand made. The car was, indeed, revolutionary, but was built very much with a California mindset - in the New England cold, the defroster basically didn't work, the door handles froze, the charge port froze, the charge plug "peg" froze. And while the car was generally great, and obviously well engineered from a safety standpoint, it just got a lot of the basics wrong. (Don't get me started on the truly terrible seats in the old cars, the gearboxes that would machine themselves to bits, the steering rack issues, the AC compressor issues...)
There is, obviously, value in aggressively moving forward, especially with regard to electrification. But that shouldn't involve disrespecting the investment your customers are making. Customers shouldn't be "taking one for the team".
Anyway, the fact that Tesla has been a force for change is good: we wouldn't be here, doing this, if it weren't for them. But if you're going to move at warp speed, perhaps checking the torque on the drive system is wise?
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