Tesla Model 3

[JSH]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

If one cell fails prematurely taking apart the pack to harvest the remaining cells makes sense, but if the pack is nearing end-of-life all cells are on their way out and the exercise becomes futile.
If Tesla packs have a low premature failure rate there's no reason to make them easy to take apart, but it would make them structurally weaker, heavier and/or more expensive.
So Tesla does not plan for the cells to fail. They plan for them to succeed.

That is all well and good but in reality things do fail. Tesla is greatly increasing the customer’s risk if all the electronics in the car are one non-servicible unit.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

They planed to make it easier to toss the battery in the dump and forget about it.
That's part of teslas MO. Engineer as stuff impossible to make it impossible to work on.

Panasonic originally sourced their Lithium from children's intestinal linings of those prescribed psychotropic Lithium medications,at Chinese orphanages for the insane.
The spent battery packs will be recycled in China,into ward water supplies of these orphanages,as a Lithium-concentration-boosting,cost-cutting, and profits-boosting measure, to finally enable the Model-3 to be sold at $35,000.
Shareholders have applauded the move,and the U.S.Chamber of Commerce is poised to honor Elon Musk for his innovative,and visionary management style.

[NeilBlanchard]

The Tesla Model 3 is the safest car ever tested - so the body can't be all that bad.

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by JSH

That is all well and good but in reality things do fail. Tesla is greatly increasing the customer’s risk if all the electronics in the car are one non-servicible unit.

It is a matter of economics. If you can make the parts to a high standard the failure rate will be low enough to make replacement or repair seldom.

My parents used to herd problems on their Renaults almost until they became undriveable, otherwise they'd be at the garage more often than at home.
Then they bought a Honda Civic and never had a single issue in 7 years.

The Renaults were relatively easy to repair. But guess what my parents preferred.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The Tesla Model 3 is the safest car ever tested - so the body can't be all that bad.

Does the pack serve as a structural member of the body?
With some motorcycles,the engine serves as an integral member of the frame,triangulating stresses across the otherwise 'void.'
Also,moisture has been reported as the greatest enemy of Lithium- ion technology.Perhaps the pack sealing is a redundant weather seal against this threat.

[oil pan 4]

The body design is heavily, more complex than it needs to be.
A simpler, lighter body made with fewer bits would be cheaper, more consistent, lighter, faster, easier to make and be on par for the rest of the car. Which would give it even more range, better performance all around.
I never said it was unsafe or even attempted to hint that it was.

[NeilBlanchard]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Does the pack serve as a structural member of the body?
With some motorcycles,the engine serves as an integral member of the frame,triangulating stresses across the otherwise 'void.'
Also,moisture has been reported as the greatest enemy of Lithium- ion technology.Perhaps the pack sealing is a redundant weather seal against this threat.

Yes, the battery pack is a major part of the chassis structure. And it lowers the Cg, making it VERY hard to roll a Tesla over.

[NeilBlanchard]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

The body design is heavily, more complex than it needs to be.
A simpler, lighter body made with fewer bits would be cheaper, more consistent, lighter, faster, easier to make and be on par for the rest of the car. Which would give it even more range, better performance all around.
I never said it was unsafe or even attempted to hint that it was.

If you change its design / construction, then you change the safety aspects.

Tesla is ramping up their production - the Model 3 will probably be the best selling car in the US within a year - and maybe even this calendar year. It is earning a profit. It is the safest production car ever made.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

If you change its design / construction, then you change the safety aspects.

Tesla is ramping up their production - the Model 3 will probably be the best selling car in the US within a year - and maybe even this calendar year. It is earning a profit. It is the safest production car ever made.

The body is different than the chassis, and has little to do with safety. It was the body that received the most criticism due to the complexity and lack of precise fitment. There was an image showing a fender well using something like 6 pieces of different material, and containing glue, welds, and rivets for a part that would normally just be formed out of a single piece of material.

It's things like that needing improvement to reduce cost, possibly reduce weight, and improve aesthetic qualities.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The Tesla Model 3 is the safest car ever tested - so the body can't be all that bad.

Didn't NHTSA and IIHS rap Tesla's knuckles for that claim? They only award stars, do they not?

My understanding is that the ratings agencies don't say "this 5-star rated car is safer than that 5-star rated car".


(Moot if there are no other top-rated cars.)