Blog Musk Gives Model 3 Factory Tour; Says He Sees a ‘Path Out of Hell’

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he now has a “clear understanding of the path out of hell.”

In an interview with CBS This Morning, Musk gave viewers a look at the Model 3 production line that he’s anxious to improve. Musk even showed the “narrow” couch and conference room floor he’s taken to sleeping on during busy times at the factory.

Musk said Model 3 production trouble escalated into something he did not anticipate.

“I need to figure out how to be better and then we can be better at meeting goals,” Musk said.

The company “got complacent” about “core technology,” Musk said without providing specifics about the technology. He also said Tesla put too much new technology into the Model 3 all at once. “Should have staged it,” he said.

Musk also conceded that his production line is too robotic. He would like to add more human workers.

The full segment is below.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/lOz7cPJQd8E” video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

 

[Brando]

So you want someone to create all new, visionary, game changing products by doing it the old ways that have always been followed. So, in your view, the best way revolutionize things is to keep doing them as they have always been done.

A real estate agent. He is from the speculative class. Similar to many Venture Capitalist. They don't build s___ they only know how to gamble. Lazy blood suckers, IMHO. Compare Peter Thiel to Elon Musk. Enough said right? Want to make money, perhaps you talk to Peter. You want to build something? I think Elon.

Sorry for my dim view of the speculator class. i.e. no need to try and school me as to how important Wall St. and money centered markets are.

 

[Xcelerator]

A real estate agent. He is from the speculative class. Similar to many Venture Capitalist. They don't build s___ they only know how to gamble. Lazy blood suckers, IMHO. Compare Peter Thiel to Elon Musk. Enough said right? Want to make money, perhaps you talk to Peter. You want to build something? I think Elon.

Sorry for my dim view of the speculator class. i.e. no need to try and school me as to how important Wall St. and money centered markets are.

No need to discuss your dim view of the speculator class...just incredibly bizarre to put Elon in it. Makes it appear as though you do not know anything about him, his history, his role in the Tesla, SpaceX, etc. VCs are out looking for the quick buck, Musk is out building an automobile company from nothing, chasing a dream. That industry is probably the most capital intensive, slowest possible path to long term profitability, and even the big boys who've done it for over a century have all come on extreme hard times, with 2 of 3 requiring bail outs. That's not the world VCs want to live in. I can understand many criticisms of Elon, including the one this post started about...he should hire more good people. But, to say he is a worthless VC?

 

[Electroman]

I thought he was referring to AmpedRealtor - meaning a real estate agent, who essentially builds nothing, but just thrives in artificial real estate bubbles

 

[Brando]

I thought he was referring to AmpedRealtor - meaning a real estate agent, who essentially builds nothing, but just thrives in artificial real estate bubbles

You are correct. BUT MY BAD. I really shouldn't have posted a negative comment. We all have to make a go of it some how. Should keep my dim view of the speculative class to myself.

Seriously Amped, I have no animosity toward you. Hope you missed my comment or was kind enough to ignore it.

 

[Electroman]

Brando - your sentiment and observation is spot on. But it not PC to say it out loud.

In general people who don't make any real things, are the ones quick to criticize the ones that do make things. Because they don't understand how hard is to make real tangible things.

 

[SO16]

Brando - your sentiment and observation is spot on. But it not PC to say it out loud.

In general people who don't make any real things, are the ones quick to criticize the ones that do make things. Because they don't understand how hard is to make real tangible things.

Especially something as complicated as a vehicle. Not only does Tesla have to do everything right, but so do the hundreds (or thousands) of suppliers. GM and Ford have been around for a century. That has given them time to get their suppliers up to speed as well. A good portion of the components in a Model 3 does not exist in any other vehicle. One missing part from one supplier can cause the whole line to shutdown. Ramping that up is quite an undertaking. I too have worked in manufacturing and it’s quite an orchestrated process to get everything running smoothly. It’s amazing how people who have absolutely NO CLUE, are somehow able to know everything about manufacturing. Sure, Elon tried to overautomate some areas and it’s best to iron out the process first before automating. But I applaud his effort and over time, more will become automated again.

 

[bartlettpsj]

"incredibly shortsighted?" You are damn right! there are many such instances of him trying to re-invent the wheel has cost a ton of money.

• He was shortsighted to have started a car company in the first place, when the experts all knew that no new car company in the US has survived the last 100 years, so we all knew it is impossible

• He was shortsighted to have started an electric car company, when the experts like Toyota and GM knew that Hybrid is the way to go. Battery technology is simply not there to get even 200 mile range. Even better Hydrogen is the answer. The experts in Toyota told us time and again.

• Starting a car factory in California? How shortsighted can that be? there is a reason all car manufacturing in the US is done around Detroit or in places where labor is cheap.

• He was incredibly shortsighted to have gone with cylindrical commodity cells, when the industry was going after pouch cells specifically made for automobiles. You all know the results of that - terrible battery degradation in Tesla cars

• He was terribly shortsighted not to go for the tried and trusted and proven customer-friendly dealership model.

• He was insanely shortsighted to start a rocket company. I mean how stupid can that be?. We all know that only governments and big aerospace companies can launch rockets. Just think about it - what experience does he have launching rockets? [AmpedRealtor would have 100% made this comment with glee in the early years, when his first three launches were failures.]

• Landing rockets? really? is Musk insane? NASA has not done it. Russians have not done it. Euro agency? ULA? not a chance. It only means one thing - IT CANNOT BE DONE. You cannot land rockets. How incredibly shortsighted for Musk to spend his engineering resources on this.

• And oh the Gigafactory? What kind of shortsighted idiot builds their own huge factory to make batteries, when automobile giants knew fully well that it is always best to outsource battery manufacturing to 3rd parties. There is no way battery costs are going to come down to less than $200/kWh for another two decades. The experts told us. They are right. Musk is wrong.

You are damn right. Musk's shortsightedness has cost Tesla and SpaceX a lot of money. He should not have even started these companies in the first place. Then they would not have lost any money.

I presumably you are being sarcastic right. Awesome dude with a vision and not shackled down by ancient thinking of Ford, BMW, GM etc. Actually GM are doing good stuff too!

 

[bartlettpsj]

I presumably you are being sarcastic right. Awesome dude with a vision and not shackled down by ancient thinking of Ford, BMW, GM etc. Actually GM are doing good stuff too!

I mean Chevy !

 

[mongo]

I presumably you are being sarcastic right. Awesome dude with a vision and not shackled down by ancient thinking of Ford, BMW, GM etc. Actually GM are doing good stuff too!

I mean Chevy !

Chevy is GM...(along with Buick, Pontiac, GMC)
Did you mean Chrysler/Fiat?

 

[Electroman]

I presumably you are being sarcastic right.

Now that you ask that question, I am not sure