Employees say Tesla manufactures crap parts – IOTW Report

Employees say Tesla manufactures crap parts

CNBC: Luxury automaker Tesla is manufacturing a surprisingly high ratio of flawed parts and vehicles, according to several current and former employees, leading to more rework and repairs than can be contained at its factory in Fremont, California.

Tesla’s future as a mass-market carmaker hinges on efficient, automated production of the Model 3, which more than 400,000 people have already reserved, paying $1,000 refundable fees to do so. Musk said in July 2017 that Tesla would probably be making 20,000 Model 3s per month by December.

The company then later downgraded those expectations. It currently says it will make 2,500 per week by the end of this month and 5,000 per week by the end of June.

One current Tesla engineer estimated that 40 percent of the parts made or received at its Fremont factory require rework. The need for reviews of parts coming off the line, and rework, has contributed to Model 3 delays, the engineer said. more here

27 Comments on Employees say Tesla manufactures crap parts

  1. A friends wife works for them and they can’t even seem to get her paycheck correct. It’s different each time and when she tried to get it corrected they told her it was close enough.

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  2. Take it from someone who has worked on incredibly complicated manufacturing technology, it ain’t easy.
    Musk was counting on the continued support of the Green government generosity.
    That is not happening, obviously.
    If it was any good, Musk wouldn’t have needed the taxpayers money.
    This guy is more an Edison, than a Ford.

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  3. Not that tough. Process Control is key and the Bay Area is all about Process Control. Manufacturing is a totally digital process now day. Part manufacturing is driven of Solid Models (CAD). Manufacturing process definition, tool path, and inspection are all closed loop to the Solid Model. I suspect poor engineering practices before I would suspect issues with parts.

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  4. Brad – Do you use CAD? I represented a Sacramento area CAD based manufacturer, a few years back, in a couple business disputes. Pretty interesting system….as long as the operators know what they’re doing. My guys had a little problem with that.

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  5. A video game, but you need a 1st rate gamer or you end up with Tesla parts. Without first hand knowledge, I would bet that there is a lack of professional discipline at Tesla. When the leader is operating with someone else’s money that he doesn’t have to pay back that seems like a problem in the making.

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  6. TonyR

    You’re on the right track, but nobody uses drawing anymore. 10 or 12 years ago these CAD companies all introduced “Behavioral Modeling”. Meaning the software will run through your design and tell you where you F’ed up. The problem is they bypassed the conceptual guys and actual degreed old timers that knew what a slide rule is (still have one in my box). Lot’s of bad engineering going on out there. Machinists are constantly suffering from severe neck fatigue from shaking their heads in disbelief.
    Happily the exception is Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed, etc etc.

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