Opinion: Bottleneck won't just be parts or production

[Garlan Garner]

I think so too. And partner or not, in a sense Panasonic is a supplier for Tesla so it is not Tesla internally where the bottleneck lies.

From the Tesla website: Panasonic and Tesla Sign Agreement for the Gigafactory

The Tesla/Panasonic relationship appears to be much closer than any other vendor. I don't know of any other vendor that is making their parts INSIDE the Gigafactory.

Its actually kinda funny that of the hundreds of vendors that supply parts for the Model 3 - the one that is holding up progress resides INSIDE its own building? Maybe back a long time ago when Tesla was securing their vendors....they forgot to talk to the very one that they have a partnership with. It happens I guess.

 

[ElecFan]

The Tesla/Panasonic relationship appears to be much closer than any other vendor. I don't know of any other vendor that is making their parts INSIDE the Gigafactory.
.

The battery is so essential for Tesla that they wanted them as close as possible, however they missed the knowledge to do it themselves so they are in a sense dependent upon an external party, which Panasonic of course still is.
I guess battery technology requires specialists which is difficult enough to create problems. I guess this is part of the pioneering work that Tesla is undertaking.

 

[Garlan Garner]

The battery is so essential for Tesla that they wanted them as close as possible, however they missed the knowledge to do it themselves so they are in a sense dependent upon an external party, which Panasonic of course still is.
I guess battery technology requires specialists which is difficult enough to create problems. I guess this is part of the pioneering work that Tesla is undertaking.

Those are a lot of assumptions. Tesla and Panasonic live together. They may not be blood relatives, however they are certainly married.

 

[ElecFan]

Those are a lot of assumptions.

I guess it is, but not far fetched.
In my years of working as an (transport/airline)economist I've seen many companies working closely together. In the airline industry you had the logistic service companies who worked closely together with airlines because of co-dependence. In this partnership between Tesla and Panasonic I see the same sort of relationship which makes sense if you see how important the battery is for Tesla's activities.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I guess it is, but not far fetched.
In my years of working as an (transport/airline)economist I've seen many companies working closely together. In the airline industry you had the logistic service companies who worked closely together with airlines because of co-dependence. In this partnership between Tesla and Panasonic I see the same sort of relationship which makes sense if you see how important the battery is for Tesla's activities.

Same difference if an airlines company has a problem with a vendor....I would expect that the one who shares a facility with them to NOT be the problem - especially concerning what is going to be your largest production and profitability product.

My point is....The one vendor that you posted you YOUR website as to having a live-in contract with is the only vendor holding up progress? Of hundreds of vendors that are physically external to you....."that's the one"?

 

[ElecFan]

Yep, it is what it is.
Let's hope it is the only bottleneck holding up progress. Then we might see some catching up in - or at least some significant numbers of - deliveries.