Model Y - Gigafactory Texas Production

[tangible1]

About time we send a petition from members here to Tesla to ask for clarification on what will be built where with what batteries and roughly when! Anybody got a good contact?

The Tesla Master Class is a tightly controlled and orchestrated effort.
It's very difficult to keep all that info under wraps when there are so many employees scattered about, actually building the cars.
Tesla has to have a really tight leash on their people and suppliers.

So unless you know Elon, we get what we get, when we get it and not before.
Yet they make it seem so casual and responsive. Far from the case.

 

[chinokie]

Nothing out on the lot in Austin displayed anything decidedly different than Fremont.
But it's possible the paint shop in Austin is newer, better optimized than Fremont's old shop.
Video processing / color correction is ubiquitous - everything gets touched to make it pop, or do whatever the Director / Cinematographer / Client wants to deliver.

Does California have laws that affect the paint? Not with regard to color but drying and/or hardness? If yes, then Shanghi, Berlin and Austin could have better.

 

[tangible1]

Does California have laws that affect the paint? Not with regard to color but drying and/or hardness? If yes, then Shanghi, Berlin and Austin could have better.

As far as I know, CA has required non-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints for some time. You can't even buy VOC solvents at Home Depot here any more.
I think the rest of the US has mostly followed suit but there are definite exceptions. Not sure of international.

 

[advocate8]

I think so. But don't post that in the investment thread because man...they can't stand a realistic thought there. I've come to conclude it is not actually the investment thread it is the Pie in the Sky thread. Clearly something is up with the 4680 production. After 1 year they had cells for 1200 cars. It's going to require some incredible scaling to get past there. Or..they lack some critical materials/components. Or that the battery cell/pack weight is coming in far higher than spec'd or something.

Goooood lord! Please don’t rile those guys up and have them start surveilling this thread.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

So with weight reduction it would be as fast as a 2170 performance. So why pay the premium?

The weight savings (per EPA cert) is under 100 pounds, so almost moot.

However fewer cells could mean lower peak output - typically speed goes with pack size since larger packs can run at higher power levels. I would expect a 67 KWH MY-AWD to be a step slower than the MYLR.

 

[advocate8]

The weight savings (per EPA cert) is under 100 pounds, so almost moot.

However fewer cells could mean lower peak output - typically speed goes with pack size since larger packs can run at higher power levels. I would expect a 67 KWH MY-AWD to be a step slower than the MYLR.

Wait does this mean the Hummer is five times faster than a Honda CRX?
Oh… never mind. I was doing the math wrong. It just WEIGHS the same as five CRX’s.

 

[SageBrush]

The whole point of an EPA certification is that you MUST have produced the thing they certify.

It is true that a couple cars are hand made for crash testing and EPA certification. I use 'production' in the volume sense, as in coming off a factory's means of production line.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

Wait does this mean the Hummer is five times faster than a Honda CRX?
Oh… never mind. I was doing the math wrong. It just WEIGHS the same as five CRX’s.

Have you looked up the Hummer's acceleration? They're quoting 3 second 0-60 in a 9000 pound vehicle. So YES an absurdly large battery pack does make the thing wildly faster than a CRX.

 

[Mingw]

Yes, they've already said they are only doing 4680 with the structural battery at Austin. If the cell production is constrained then a lower range car with far fewer cells let's them fill more orders in the short term.

Perhaps as 4680 issues with yield, performance, etc., get resolved they will start building all trims there, maybe they already are, who the hell knows?

Since the 4680 battery cells are carrying vehicle weight, I doubt they can easily change number of cells in the pack.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

Since the 4680 battery cells are carrying vehicle weight, I doubt they can easily change number of cells in the pack.

Sure you can - fill the voids with empty cylinder liners. It's steel. It's cheap. Lithium and nickle's were the cost is.

 

[Yperformance]

Correct

 

[TJ21CT]

About time we send a petition from members here to Tesla to ask for clarification on what will be built where with what batteries and roughly when! Anybody got a good contact?

@elonmusk

 

[TJ21CT]

Ok changing gears a bit. Anyone notice something different about the colors of the Y's in the video they showed last night? The blue stood out most to me and it appears to be a darker/deeper shade than what is currently offered. Maybe it is just video post-processing but I wonder if it is one of the new colors we've heard about.

View attachment 791522

Here are some shots from in the factory. All the same blue but different lighting.

 

[Coachrich]

About time we send a petition from members here to Tesla to ask for clarification on what will be built where with what batteries and roughly when! Anybody got a good contact?

Easier to get a response from the Pope...

 

[advocate8]

@elonmusk

Easier to get a response from the Pope...

Wellll…. Worth a try. Pope seems a lot more likely to answer questions @ 4680 cars.

 

[WhiteWi]

Never bet against Elon.

 

[advocate8]

Have you looked up the Hummer's acceleration? They're quoting 3 second 0-60 in a 9000 pound vehicle. So YES an absurdly large battery pack does make the thing wildly faster than a CRX.

Oh no doubt. Also…The turbulence of one a them things passing would blow a CRX clean into the ditch…. And derail passing CSX freight trains.
That’s a lot of truck.

 

[henderrj]

It is possible the current rendition of the structural battery pack has a different chemistry. If, for instance, they went iron, that would explain a lesser range with the same number of cells. It would also be more readily available as materials go, and cheaper to make. It would also negate much of the weight gain from that structural pack.

Just a thought.

 

[Andrew Smith]

Easier to get a response from the Pope...

Wellll…. Worth a try. Pope seems a lot more likely to answer questions @ 4680 cars.

Maybe Elon should do AMA to answer all the rumors around Giga Texas as he’s doing one on twitter to clear some air raised by twitter employees after he bought 9% twitter shares.

 

[Mingw]

Sure you can - fill the voids with empty cylinder liners. It's steel. It's cheap. Lithium and nickle's were the cost is.

It's not making one car in your garage. They are making production cars, with a lot of concerns on safety, quality, certification etc. They are producing record amount of cars now with ever increasing unit price. It doesn't make sense to spend effort temporarily creating a different cheaper model to have more cars.