Efficiency first

[bwilson4web]

Source: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/tesl...iciency-stems-from-its-vehicle-design-culture

. . .
Tesla’s EVs are some of the most efficient on the market - to give one example, the Model S Performance full-size sedan is substantially more efficient than the tiny smart EQ fortwo. When it comes to the vaunted “Tesla killers” - Audi’s e-tron and Jaguar’s I-PACE, the larger Tesla Model X simply blows them away. As Road & Track explains in a recent article, Model X is so much more efficient that it offers 91 more miles of range than the Audi and 121 more than the Jag, even though the Tesla’s battery pack is only slightly larger.

As R&T sees it, the reason the legacy automakers’ latest and greatest EVs can’t match Tesla’s aging models comes down to inefficiency, not only in their powertrains, but in their corporate cultures. Tesla’s culture is one of continuous improvement - in the eight years that Model S has been on the market, its efficiency has increased by 25 percent, from 89 MPGe to 111. Tesla has improved the vehicle’s motors, air suspension, tires and even its wheel bearings.

Another policy prized at Tesla is open communication between departments, in contrast to the “silos” that so many employees of traditional corporations complain of. As R&T explains, Tesla’s newer wheel bearings are more expensive than the old ones, but they may have added as much as 15 miles of range at far less cost than adding battery capacity.
. . .​

This matches Elon's personality and engineering practices.

Bob Wilson

 

[David Green]

Source: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/tesl...iciency-stems-from-its-vehicle-design-culture

. . .
Tesla’s EVs are some of the most efficient on the market - to give one example, the Model S Performance full-size sedan is substantially more efficient than the tiny smart EQ fortwo. When it comes to the vaunted “Tesla killers” - Audi’s e-tron and Jaguar’s I-PACE, the larger Tesla Model X simply blows them away. As Road & Track explains in a recent article, Model X is so much more efficient that it offers 91 more miles of range than the Audi and 121 more than the Jag, even though the Tesla’s battery pack is only slightly larger.

As R&T sees it, the reason the legacy automakers’ latest and greatest EVs can’t match Tesla’s aging models comes down to inefficiency, not only in their powertrains, but in their corporate cultures. Tesla’s culture is one of continuous improvement - in the eight years that Model S has been on the market, its efficiency has increased by 25 percent, from 89 MPGe to 111. Tesla has improved the vehicle’s motors, air suspension, tires and even its wheel bearings.

Another policy prized at Tesla is open communication between departments, in contrast to the “silos” that so many employees of traditional corporations complain of. As R&T explains, Tesla’s newer wheel bearings are more expensive than the old ones, but they may have added as much as 15 miles of range at far less cost than adding battery capacity.
. . .​

This matches Elon's personality and engineering practices.

Bob Wilson

Wow, that's great, with all the continuous improvement, I have a few question

*Why are Tesla cars so noisy on the interior? Even my diesel pickup is quieter inside than any Tesla while traveling on the freeway.

* Why is Tesla missing so many features that are standard on other vehicles (Gesture Tailgate, 3D camera, HUD, etc...)

* Wy does Tesla have so much problem with paint and panel / trim alignment?

* Why do Tesla cars have so many parts failures? I see recently the Model 3 sun visor is a problem, but in the past its been door handles, door hardware, and latching mechanisms. I have bought dozens of new vehicles over my life, and never had one with door hardware failures.

* Why do Tesla cars rank near the lowest in each segment when it comes to reliability?

* Why does Model S / 3 still have the worst back seat seating positions in the sedan segments?

* Why does Tesla still have so much trouble making a profit? GM seems to be rocking and rolling in recent years, I cannot wait to see Q3 results with the 38% increase in Diesel Pickup sales, profits are going to be great I imagine as those babies are high margin.

 

[bwilson4web]

So many of Elon's engineering management style come from the work of Dr. Edward Deming:
http://www.berrywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DemingPaper.pdf

Surprisingly, a lack of clearly defined purpose is common in U.S. organizations, particularly long-range purpose. Short-term thinking, quarterly and annual performance evaluations, and bottom line thinking forces attention to quick-fix solutions. Even if long-range plans exist, prevailing short-term thinking distracts from long-term behavior toward real solutions.

Quality is a systematic process. First, establish the aim: vision, mission, goals or constancy of purpose of the system According to Deming, without aim, there is no system (Identity) then identify the components and processes and the interrelationships of the components within the system (relationships). Constantly improve on the processes of the system (Information/Learning/Knowledge.)
​

Source_2: https://deming.org/explore/fourteen-points?apartner=aarp

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs.

2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.


3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.

4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.

5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.

6. Institute training on the job.

7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.

8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company (see Ch. 3).

9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.

10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.

• Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
• Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.

11. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.

12. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (see Ch. 3).

13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.

14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.​

Receiving firmware 2019.32.11.1 six days ago is evidence of continuous improvement. Products don't leave the factory perfect but they can be perfected.

Bob Wilson

 

[David Green]

So many of Elon's engineering management style come from the work of Dr. Edward Deming:
http://www.berrywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DemingPaper.pdf

Surprisingly, a lack of clearly defined purpose is common in U.S. organizations, particularly long-range purpose. Short-term thinking, quarterly and annual performance evaluations, and bottom line thinking forces attention to quick-fix solutions. Even if long-range plans exist, prevailing short-term thinking distracts from long-term behavior toward real solutions.

Quality is a systematic process. First, establish the aim: vision, mission, goals or constancy of purpose of the system According to Deming, without aim, there is no system (Identity) then identify the components and processes and the interrelationships of the components within the system (relationships). Constantly improve on the processes of the system (Information/Learning/Knowledge.)
​

Source_2: https://deming.org/explore/fourteen-points?apartner=aarp

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs.

2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.


3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.

4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.

5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.

6. Institute training on the job.

7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.

8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company (see Ch. 3).

9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.

10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.

• Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
• Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.

11. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.

12. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (see Ch. 3).

13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.

14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.​

Receiving firmware 2019.32.11.1 six days ago is evidence of continuous improvement. Products don't leave the factory perfect but they can be perfected.

Bob Wilson

I do not think ElonMusk is smart enough to follow any of these principals, he is simply an insecure tyrant that pushes people beyond their capabilities and wears them out, there is nothing sustainable going on at Tesla when it comes to people. Then Elon gets his fragile feelings hurt and lashes out at other, reporters, cave rescuers, etc... then he gets sued, and tries to hide the truth. I have a hard time seeing the genius.

 

[bwilson4web]

The EPA lists cars by descending efficiency:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=40384&id=41416&id=41415&id=41189

• 25 kWh/100 mi - Hyundai Ioniq (not SuperCharger)
• 25 kWh/100 mi - Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus (mine)
• 26 kWh/100 mi - Tesla Model 3 Standard Range
• 26 kWh/100 mi - Tesla Model 3 Long Range

Now I've used my BMW i3-REx to with EVgo and Electrify America and they don't work. The regional EVgo are limited to 50 kW and Electrify America at Manchester TN are unreliable (only 2 of 3 worked.) I can't trust the Electrify America stations to complete a cross country trip due to their poor quality. In contrast, SuperCharger stations are maintained by Tesla and easily handle 100 kW charge rates.

Quality counts and Electrify America unsells non-Tesla EVs. As for EVgo, they have legacy chargers at 50 kW, half the speed of the 100 kW SuperChargers. Even the Tesla urban SuperChargers, 70 kW, have more power than the EVgo chargers.

Bob Wilson