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smkettner said:
No single vehicle meets all my needs.
Between the I-Pace and F150 I am in pretty good shape.
It is quite EV journey you went through. I saw i-Pace EV next to my Ioniq EV on the Whole Foods L2 charger - it is nice looking car inside and out, just a bit pricey. Any Tesla looks like a school pencil box after this sighting to me.
 
IEVS:
Tesla Auto Insurance: Everything We Know So Far - Video
https://insideevs.com/news/355200/video-tesla-car-insurance/

. . . Tesla vehicles are new and somewhat unknown to many insurance companies, plus these cars perform like a sports car and are expensive to repair. It comes as no surprise that mainstream automotive insurance for Tesla cars can be high. . . .

While it's difficult to discount the whole expensive repairs and fast cars situation, Tesla has proven that its cars are very safe. On one side of the coin, insurance companies should commend the Silicon Valley automaker and know full well that injuries and fatalities may be minimal.

However, if a minor fender bender is going to cost an exorbitant amount of money, we're not surprised that insurance agents may continue to be very leery of providing car insurance for Tesla owners at a competitive rate.

As with almost all other situations, Tesla plans to take it into its own hands and offer proprietary insurance coverage that could be bundled into your purchase. For those unaware, Telsa has developed a reputation for keeping and providing everything on an in-house basis.

As with any of Tesla's future plans, this concept seems to be on the back burner. The company has proven to be overwhelmed with growth and production, so it may be a time before any of this pans out. But, we've learned over time that Tesla and CEO Elon Musk tend to follow through hardcore when it comes to such plans. We'll just have to wait and see what's in store for the future. . . .
 
ABG:
Tesla's VP for production at Fremont factory quits, source says
This as Tesla pushes to make second-quarter delivery goal
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/06/26/tesla-vp-for-production-quits/

Tesla's vice president of production at its Fremont factory, Peter Hochholdinger, has left after three years with the electric-car maker, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Hochholdinger, a former production executive at Volkswagen AG, is the latest high-profile executive to leave Tesla in the past two years as the automaker struggles to ramp up production of Model 3, which is seen as crucial for its long-term profitability.

He was tasked with improving production for Tesla's luxury Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle as well as helping build a cost-effective manufacturing program for the Model 3 sedan, the company had said in his appointment memo. . . .

IEVS:
Musk: Tesla Needs To Go " All Out" To Achieve All-Time Delivery Record
https://insideevs.com/news/356764/elon-musk-all-time-record-go-all-out/

On the positive side, via engadget:
Tesla granted tariff exemption on Japanese aluminum for battery cells
The Commerce Department approved the exemption for a year.
https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/24...aluminum-exemption-japan-commerce-department/

Tesla has won an exemption from paying the 10 percent tariffs placed on imported aluminum from Japan. It filed a request with the Commerce Department in April for a tariff exclusion on 10 million kilograms of the metal per year from Nippon Light Metal Co for battery cells made in the Nevada Gigafactory. The department approved it this month. . . .

"Tesla is the only US manufacturer of these battery types and planned production of these batteries will increase exponentially over the next few years," it [Tesla] wrote, according to Reuters.

In its response, the department agreed the aluminum Tesla needs is "not produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality." The waiver is good for a year.
 
Tesla reportedly loses engineering executive and Europe chief
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-tesla-engineering-europe-executive-20190702-story.html
 
webb14leafs said:
If you doubt that Tesla will build 500,000 cars per year within 6-12 months, you are ignoring reality.
Ok, you wrote the above on Jan 26, 2018 (https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=517342#p517342).
I wrote:
cwerdna said:
500K vehicles per year rate within 6 months? Doubtful. Within a year? Maybe.
We're now past 12 months. Per https://ir.tesla.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tesla-q2-2019-vehicle-production-deliveries, Tesla in 2Q 2019 produced 87,048 vehicles, for an average rate of 6,696/week or 348K/year if they maintain that rate.
Musk’s goals for the entire year demand that deliveries and production continue to accelerate. Musk has stated that Tesla will deliver 360,000 to 400,000 cars this year, but has delivered fewer than 160,000 through the first six months. Tesla did not reiterate that annual guidance, as it did in its announcement of first-quarter deliveries.
 
GCR:
No updates for Tesla Model S, Model X, says Musk
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1123936_no-updates-for-tesla-model-s-model-x-says-musk

The Tesla Model S and Model X might never get the floating, center-mounted, horizontal instrument cluster from the newer Model 3, as had been widely reported based on patent and trademark drawings and insider reports.

On Monday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk quashed the rumors on Twitter, his usual venue, in response to a question from a follower asking when to expect a refreshed Model X.

"There is no 'refreshed' Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes," Musk wrote. . . .

In response to a followup question from the same user specifically about whether the Model X will get a new interior, Musk simply replied: "No."

Tesla watchers had expected the company's higher-end cars to get the new interior, perhaps as a cost-saving measure for the company to commonize the interiors across all its models. The Model S and Model X have separate instrument clusters in front of the steering wheel that the Model 3 lacks, and have a vertical center touch screen. . . .

The Model S has been on the market for seven years, and the Model X for nearly four. Most other car companies replace popular models after five years and give them a significant update in year three. The announcement that they won't be updated has led some to wonder how long the company plans to keep building the Model S and Model X, especially as it struggles to find factory space to build new models such as the upcoming Model Y SUV, the second-generation Roadster, and the Tesla pickup.

Sales of the luxury models, which some investors have credited for still providing a large share of Tesla's profits, have dropped almost in half since production of the more affordable Model 3 has ramped up, but the company has maintained sales of about 60,000 of the two models a year, a healthy rate considering their luxury-car cost.
 
CNBC:
Tesla employees say they took shortcuts, worked through harsh conditions to meet Model 3 production goals
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/15/tes...-describe-pressure-to-make-model-3-goals.html

Key Points:

  • Tesla produced a record 72,531 Model 3 electric sedans in the second quarter of 2019.

    Employees in the open-air GA4 “tent,” which is not fully automated, tell CNBC they were pressured to take shortcuts to hit those goals -- reducing vehicle testing for water leaks, and using electrical tape to make quick fixes during Model 3 assembly.

    Employees in the tent have also had to work through harsh weather and unhealthy air quality, they say. . . .

For instance, four people who worked on the assembly line say they were told by supervisors to use electrical tape to patch cracks on plastic brackets and housings, and provided photographs showing where tape was applied. They and four additional people familiar with conditions there describe working through high heat, cold temperatures at night and smoky air during last year’s wildfires in Northern California.

Their testimony highlights the difficult balance Tesla must strike as it ramps up production while trying to stem costs. . . .

A Tesla spokesperson said the anecdotes employees shared about work in the tent are “misleading and do not reflect our manufacturing practices or what it’s like to work at Tesla.”

The spokesperson said many of the shortcuts described by employees, such as using electrical tape during assembly, are not approved procedure, and that cars are rigorously inspected before shipping. Tesla also said that the company’s first-pass yields at Fremont are higher than ever -- a measurement that indicates Tesla is producing good cars, and scrapping or re-working fewer units, than it did historically.

Regarding working conditions in the tent, Tesla said, “We work hard to create a work environment that is as safe, fair and fun as possible, and it is incredibly important to us that employees look forward to coming to work every day. In fact, we have a large number of employees who request to work on GA4 based on what they hear from colleagues and what they have seen first-hand. . . .”

Workers told CNBC that GA4 is now able to produce up to 120 cars per shift, across three shifts per day, amounting to 2,160 Model 3s in a perfect six-day week, or around 30,000 per quarter assuming maximum rates of production. . . .

Six other current and former employees corroborated their accounts of work in GA4, but asked to remain un-named.

These people said that while work in GA4 is physically demanding, many people like working there because the atmosphere is good and camaraderie is strong. They can listen to music while they work, with a supervisor’s approval, and don’t always have to wear a uniform, they said.

At the same time, workers were encouraged to take shortcuts to hit their production goals in the tent, according to five people who work or worked there recently.

For example, when it’s cold in the tent, workers tend to break a high number of plastic brackets and housings that hold critical electronics in place inside of the Model 3, according to four of these people.

Rather than waiting for replenishment teams to deliver boxes of new plastic parts to their stations in GA4, supervisors told workers to use vinyl electrical tape to make quick fixes, they say. Carlos Aranda says he personally visited WalMart multiple times to buy the tape and other items for production associates.

For instance, this photo shows tape applied to a segment of a white plastic housing where it holds “triple cam” connections in place inside of a Model 3. The Arandas said the edge of this plastic housing piece would frequently crack during installation, and tape was often applied here to hold down the resulting, hinge-like flap. . . .

Workers say they took other short cuts to hit aggressive new production targets, too.

Five people who work or worked in the tent in 2019 said they would frequently pass cars down the line that they knew were missing a few bolts, nuts or lugs, all in the name of saving time.

In the tent, most workers have just a couple of minutes to complete a process. If a small item was missing, or a bolt was not torqued in perfectly, they would rather keep cars moving than stop the line and be seen as a bottleneck to production, they said.

In particular, these people said, aeroshields are often missing a middle bolt, and loose connections in body controllers are a common issue.

For example, this photo shows the power supply for a distribution block in the front right vehicle controller in a Model 3. A nut is missing that should be there to secure electrical connections.

Wires in this part of the car go to the touchscreen, car computer, door latches and window regulators on the right hand side of the Model 3, while the red cable distributes power into the systems on the right hand side.

Although it’s a low-voltage connection, if it’s not properly secured, it can heat up and cause problems, the former Tesla technician said. Model 3s with loose connections can be hard to detect during inspections, the ex-technician and factory workers said.

esla said the company “has a robust quality assurance team that reviews each vehicle at the end of the GA4 assembly line to ensure every car was built correctly and is perfect before it leaves our factory to go to customers.”

Current and former employees also said Tesla reduced “water testing” on cars as the company began ramping up production of Model 3s.

In a water test, a vehicle goes into a booth where jets blast it with water from all different directions. Any leaks in the seals are immediately found and fixed. The tests take about 10 minutes each.

In late 2018, Tesla changed its policy and now only conducts sample testing for water leaks on Model 3s.

Since then, if workers see an issue with the urethane seals around a Model 3 glass roof, for example, they can request a water test. But many in GA4 are hesitant to make that request because of time pressure and a lack of experience or training that they need to identify flaws, a current associate said. . . .

Mike Ramsey, senior automotive research director at Gartner, said that even before Tesla put a Model 3 assembly line in a tent, it had a “ship-it-now, fix-it-later” mentality inspired by software patching.

Tesla’s focus, instead, has been to exceed expectations in other areas like brand, vehicle acceleration or charging, he said. While Tesla has been successful with those efforts, he noted: “Every time a car rolls off the lot and a piece of trim falls off, or an electrical system is failing after a month, it undermines the brand. That customer is not likely to buy another Tesla.”

Ramsey also said, “The idea that you would not stop the line, and would patch something with spit and bailing wire -- OK, not literally that, but close to it -- almost certainly injects quality issues down the road that they are going to have to fix. . . .”
As stated, there are photos.
 
ABG:
Tesla drops Standard Range Model S and X, adjusts pricing across the board
The cheapest Model S is now $79,990
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/07/16/tesla-drops-standard-range-model-s-x-adjusts-pricing/

. . . In practical terms, that means the cheapest new Model S costs $79,990 and the cheapest X runs $84,990. That's an increase of around $5,000 for the S and $4,000 for the X, albeit with greater range and performance over the old standard entry point. The Model S Performance now costs $99,990 and includes Ludicrous Mode, which has in the past been a $20,000 option (sometimes). The Model X Performance runs $104,990 and similarly includes Ludicrous Mode as standard. . . .
 
GRA said:
CNBC:
Tesla employees say they took shortcuts, worked through harsh conditions to meet Model 3 production goals
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/15/tes...-describe-pressure-to-make-model-3-goals.html

Key Points:

  • Tesla produced a record 72,531 Model 3 electric sedans in the second quarter of 2019.

    Employees in the open-air GA4 “tent,” which is not fully automated, tell CNBC they were pressured to take shortcuts to hit those goals -- reducing vehicle testing for water leaks, and using electrical tape to make quick fixes during Model 3 assembly.

    Employees in the tent have also had to work through harsh weather and unhealthy air quality, they say. . . .

For instance, four people who worked on the assembly line say they were told by supervisors to use electrical tape to patch cracks on plastic brackets and housings, and provided photographs showing where tape was applied. They and four additional people familiar with conditions there describe working through high heat, cold temperatures at night and smoky air during last year’s wildfires in Northern California.

Their testimony highlights the difficult balance Tesla must strike as it ramps up production while trying to stem costs. . . .

A Tesla spokesperson said the anecdotes employees shared about work in the tent are “misleading and do not reflect our manufacturing practices or what it’s like to work at Tesla.”

The spokesperson said many of the shortcuts described by employees, such as using electrical tape during assembly, are not approved procedure, and that cars are rigorously inspected before shipping. Tesla also said that the company’s first-pass yields at Fremont are higher than ever -- a measurement that indicates Tesla is producing good cars, and scrapping or re-working fewer units, than it did historically.

Regarding working conditions in the tent, Tesla said, “We work hard to create a work environment that is as safe, fair and fun as possible, and it is incredibly important to us that employees look forward to coming to work every day. In fact, we have a large number of employees who request to work on GA4 based on what they hear from colleagues and what they have seen first-hand. . . .”

Workers told CNBC that GA4 is now able to produce up to 120 cars per shift, across three shifts per day, amounting to 2,160 Model 3s in a perfect six-day week, or around 30,000 per quarter assuming maximum rates of production. . . .

Six other current and former employees corroborated their accounts of work in GA4, but asked to remain un-named.

These people said that while work in GA4 is physically demanding, many people like working there because the atmosphere is good and camaraderie is strong. They can listen to music while they work, with a supervisor’s approval, and don’t always have to wear a uniform, they said.

At the same time, workers were encouraged to take shortcuts to hit their production goals in the tent, according to five people who work or worked there recently.

For example, when it’s cold in the tent, workers tend to break a high number of plastic brackets and housings that hold critical electronics in place inside of the Model 3, according to four of these people.

Rather than waiting for replenishment teams to deliver boxes of new plastic parts to their stations in GA4, supervisors told workers to use vinyl electrical tape to make quick fixes, they say. Carlos Aranda says he personally visited WalMart multiple times to buy the tape and other items for production associates.

For instance, this photo shows tape applied to a segment of a white plastic housing where it holds “triple cam” connections in place inside of a Model 3. The Arandas said the edge of this plastic housing piece would frequently crack during installation, and tape was often applied here to hold down the resulting, hinge-like flap. . . .

Workers say they took other short cuts to hit aggressive new production targets, too.

Five people who work or worked in the tent in 2019 said they would frequently pass cars down the line that they knew were missing a few bolts, nuts or lugs, all in the name of saving time.

In the tent, most workers have just a couple of minutes to complete a process. If a small item was missing, or a bolt was not torqued in perfectly, they would rather keep cars moving than stop the line and be seen as a bottleneck to production, they said.

In particular, these people said, aeroshields are often missing a middle bolt, and loose connections in body controllers are a common issue.

For example, this photo shows the power supply for a distribution block in the front right vehicle controller in a Model 3. A nut is missing that should be there to secure electrical connections.

Wires in this part of the car go to the touchscreen, car computer, door latches and window regulators on the right hand side of the Model 3, while the red cable distributes power into the systems on the right hand side.

Although it’s a low-voltage connection, if it’s not properly secured, it can heat up and cause problems, the former Tesla technician said. Model 3s with loose connections can be hard to detect during inspections, the ex-technician and factory workers said.

esla said the company “has a robust quality assurance team that reviews each vehicle at the end of the GA4 assembly line to ensure every car was built correctly and is perfect before it leaves our factory to go to customers.”

Current and former employees also said Tesla reduced “water testing” on cars as the company began ramping up production of Model 3s.

In a water test, a vehicle goes into a booth where jets blast it with water from all different directions. Any leaks in the seals are immediately found and fixed. The tests take about 10 minutes each.

In late 2018, Tesla changed its policy and now only conducts sample testing for water leaks on Model 3s.

Since then, if workers see an issue with the urethane seals around a Model 3 glass roof, for example, they can request a water test. But many in GA4 are hesitant to make that request because of time pressure and a lack of experience or training that they need to identify flaws, a current associate said. . . .

Mike Ramsey, senior automotive research director at Gartner, said that even before Tesla put a Model 3 assembly line in a tent, it had a “ship-it-now, fix-it-later” mentality inspired by software patching.

Tesla’s focus, instead, has been to exceed expectations in other areas like brand, vehicle acceleration or charging, he said. While Tesla has been successful with those efforts, he noted: “Every time a car rolls off the lot and a piece of trim falls off, or an electrical system is failing after a month, it undermines the brand. That customer is not likely to buy another Tesla.”

Ramsey also said, “The idea that you would not stop the line, and would patch something with spit and bailing wire -- OK, not literally that, but close to it -- almost certainly injects quality issues down the road that they are going to have to fix. . . .”
As stated, there are photos.


CNBC is anti Tesla and has a solid reputation for misleading information and fabricated stories, they have zero credibility and every "story" like this happens just when the stock is rising or there is fear of good news. They are a joke organization and an agenda-based FUD factory, Those pictures are laughable as well.
 
EVDRIVER said:
CNBC is anti Tesla and has a solid reputation for misleading information and fabricated stories, they have zero credibility and every "story" like this happens just when the stock is rising or there is fear of good news. They are a joke organization and an agenda-based FUD factory, Those pictures are laughable as well.
For the sake of argument assuming your claim is accurate, I'm curious as to what you think CNBC's motivation for being "anti-Tesla" would be, as they are a business news channel. Presumably, the people who watch it (not me) want unbiased info on stock prices, factors likely to affect companies, etc., rather than one-sided investment opinions. It's not as if there aren't plenty of other sites to provide the latter, so what's CNBC's interest in being pro or anti- any company (other than NBCUniversal)?
 
IEVS:
Tesla Model S/X/3 Comparison (Range, Price, Acceleration) July 2019
https://insideevs.com/news/361352/tesla-model-s-x-3-comparison-july-2019/

. . . This quarter Tesla limited its offer of the Model S, Model X and Model 3 to a total of eight versions and noticeably/significantly decreased prices, depending on the model.

As Tesla represents the majority of U.S. plug-in car sales, let's compare the models' range, acceleration and prices.

First of all, we need to note that from July (through the end of December 2019) Tesla cars are eligible to get just $1,875 in federal tax credit (instead of $3,750 in Q1-Q2, and $7,500 in the end of 2018). Since the company lowered its prices, sales should not be negatively affected.

Prices before $1,200 DST and before the $1,875 federal tax credit deduction:

  • Model 3 Standard Range - $35,400 (no change)
    Model 3 Standard Range Plus - $38,990 ($910 cheaper)
    Model 3 Long Range AWD - $47,990 ($1,910 cheaper)
    Model 3 Long Range AWD Performance - $54,900 ($4,910 cheaper)
    Model S Long Range AWD - $79,990 ($5,010 cheaper)
    Model S Long Range AWD Performance LM - $99,990 ($16,010 cheaper)
    Model X Long Range AWD - $84,990 ($6,010 cheaper)
    Model X Long Range AWD Performance LM - $104,990 ($17,010 cheaper). . . .
 
GRA said:
EVDRIVER said:
CNBC is anti Tesla and has a solid reputation for misleading information and fabricated stories, they have zero credibility and every "story" like this happens just when the stock is rising or there is fear of good news. They are a joke organization and an agenda-based FUD factory, Those pictures are laughable as well.
For the sake of argument assuming your claim is accurate, I'm curious as to what you think CNBC's motivation for being "anti-Tesla" would be, as they are a business news channel. Presumably, the people who watch it (not me) want unbiased info on stock prices, factors likely to affect companies, etc., rather than one-sided investment opinions. It's not as if there aren't plenty of other sites to provide the latter, so what's CNBC's interest in being pro or anti- any company (other than NBCUniversal)?
A good question. Here's another take on it:

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/07/21/were-cnbc-sources-tesla-employees-funded-by-tslaq/
 
No comment on Telsa's higher than expected loss?

https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/24/tesla-reports-larger-than-expected-losses-of-408-million-in-second-quarter/


239.36 -25.52 (-9.63%) After hours: 6:06PM EDT
 
dgpcolorado said:
GRA said:
EVDRIVER said:
CNBC is anti Tesla and has a solid reputation for misleading information and fabricated stories, they have zero credibility and every "story" like this happens just when the stock is rising or there is fear of good news. They are a joke organization and an agenda-based FUD factory, Those pictures are laughable as well.
For the sake of argument assuming your claim is accurate, I'm curious as to what you think CNBC's motivation for being "anti-Tesla" would be, as they are a business news channel. Presumably, the people who watch it (not me) want unbiased info on stock prices, factors likely to affect companies, etc., rather than one-sided investment opinions. It's not as if there aren't plenty of other sites to provide the latter, so what's CNBC's interest in being pro or anti- any company (other than NBCUniversal)?
A good question. Here's another take on it:

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/07/21/were-cnbc-sources-tesla-employees-funded-by-tslaq/

Thanks. So the question is was the CNBC reporter aware of this or not (which seems to be in dispute in the link you provided), and is it significant, i.e. was the donation arranged beforehand? $TSLAQ obviously has a bias, but the payment, quite small, seems to me more likely a case of "pour encourageur les autres". , Even if the reporter could be biased or just sloppy/lazy, nowhere is any evidence cited that CNBC itself is biased against Tesla, nor is there any reason given for motivation for such bias if it did exist.
 
Just another huge loss quarter is behind, more to come, unfortunately ... I just do not understand idiots who kept buying it prior to earnings, could have waited and in a few days you could scoop it up at huge discount.
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this - GCR:
Tesla CTO and battery mastermind J.B. Straubel exits
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1124230_tesla-cto-and-battery-mastermind-jb-straubel-exits

At the start of a call Wednesday to provide guidance on Tesla’s record sales but $408 million loss in the second quarter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a bombshell: that its chief technical officer, JB Straubel, will be stepping down from his executive post.

Drew Baglino will take over most of the responsibilities held by Straubel, who will be transitioning to the role of senior advisor.

The departure of Straubel is a huge loss for the company. He’s considered a co-founder of Tesla, as well as an expert on energy storage and propulsion—and in many intents and purposes was Musk’s partner in Tesla’s rise.

The Stanford grad has been the mastermind behind key decisions made on Tesla’s power systems and battery technology—decisions that have given the company a continued advantage in efficiency and driving range after other companies have created rival electric models. To this day he's considered one of the world's top experts in vehicle battery tech. . . .
I'm not surprised the man wants to take a step back, and it's not as if he needs more money, but this does add a considerable extra layer of uncertainty to Tesla's future developments.
 
GRA said:
I'm not surprised the man wants to take a step back, and it's not as if he needs more money, but this does add a considerable extra layer of uncertainty to Tesla's future developments.

If Tesla is going to make it long term they need to develop the expertise in-house for succession to occur since it will happen. Maybe even Mr Musk will someday move on to greener pastures.

I'm sure there are plenty of engineers at Tesla who understand physics well enough to design batteries and cars. The harder part, IMHO, is to do so profitably. Which requires a broader understanding of supply chain management, warranty costs, manufacturing capabilities, consumer and regulatory whims, etc, etc.
 
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