Where is the "frame" made?

[Al Sherman]

Maybe I should have put this in the "anti-EV gibberish" section.

A friend who likes to take random "potshots" at my car recently said something about the MS frame being made in the UK. He vaguely referenced an interview by Charles Gibson on Good Morning America. I haven't seen any reference to such an interview.

I don't truly care about it. I'm totally aware that buying a complex product anywhere that is totally sourced from any one country, or geographic area even is almost impossible. I HAVE seen where Tesla estimated that 55% of the Model S is sourced from North America. As I said, this is beside the point for me.

But specifically to respond to my know it all friend:

Does the Model S have a "frame" per se?
Aren't the Body, Battery enclosure, and "frame" made and assembled robotically at Fremont?

 

[DaveVa]

The Roadster chassis was a Lotus. Made in the UK. The Model S "frame" is made in Fremont CA.

 

[Al Sherman]

The Roadster chassis was a Lotus. Made in the UK. The Model S "frame" is made in Freemont CA.

Thanks. Any references so I can shut him up.:wink:

 

[jerry33]

Thanks. Any references so I can shut him up.:wink:

There is a Wired video of the factory in Fremont, CA.

 

[meloccom]

Thanks. Any references so I can shut him up.:wink:

I don't think Tesla publishes any data regarding US content of the Models S, although Elon has made mention to many components being sourced from the USA.
However you could send him the link to the Bloomberg video showing the frame being stamped and manufactured in the Freemont factory. Bloomberg visits Tesla

 

[evme]

Tesla makes all the boron steel frames and aluminum in their stamping machines if that is what you mean. If your asking where the parts are sourced from?

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/15020-Origin-of-parts-on-Model-S

Though this may have changed if they changed suppliers since then.

 

[jerry33]

I don't think Tesla publishes any data regarding US content of the Models S

Tesla had to specify the North American content when shipping the Model S to Canada. It was 55%.

 

[gnelson]

Maybe I should have put this in the "anti-EV gibberish" section.

A friend who likes to take random "potshots" at my car recently said something about the MS frame being made in the UK. He vaguely referenced an interview by Charles Gibson on Good Morning America. I haven't seen any reference to such an interview.

I don't truly care about it. I'm totally aware that buying a complex product anywhere that is totally sourced from any one country, or geographic area even is almost impossible. I HAVE seen where Tesla estimated that 55% of the Model S is sourced from North America. As I said, this is beside the point for me.

But specifically to respond to my know it all friend:

Does the Model S have a "frame" per se?
Aren't the Body, Battery enclosure, and "frame" made and assembled robotically at Fremont?

I bet your friend is totally jealous of your Model S and is trying to disguise his inadequacy.

 

[dhrivnak]

If I recall the National Geographic special on Tesla (Mega factories) available on YouTube shows a good bit of the manufacturing process at Fremont. It is well eorth watching.

 

[bollar]

I can't confirm this link's validity, but for comparison, it suggests the Volt is 40%:

U.S./Canadian parts content: 40%
Major source of foreign parts content: Korea 20% (the batteries)
Engine: Austria
Transmission (Electric Drive Unit): Japan

Read more: Chevy Volt costing taxpayers up to $250K per vehicle in govt subsidies (Indiana, how much) - Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Conservatives, Liberals, Third Parties, Left-Wing, Right-Wing, Congress, President - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

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Ah, here's a window sticker. 46% in 2012:

File:2012 Chevrolet Volt window sticker 01 2012 0483.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The Leaf is also 45%.

Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS are 70%.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

The Roadster chassis was a Lotus. Made in the UK. The Model S "frame" is made in Freemont CA.

Fremont. Not Freemont.

 

[brianman]

The Model S "frame" is made in Fremont CA.

Thanks. Any references so I can shut him up.:wink:

Sure. Me. And everybody else that went with me on the factory tour on 2013/07/12. Unless the entire factory team has magic as a significant second skill such that they pulled an incredibly elaborate hoax, I saw parts of the car frame made at the various presses and saw the assembly by the main line.

It is a fantastic experience, but a little scary if you watched the Terminator series and have an active imagination.

 

[Doug_G]

This is simply confusion between the Roadster and the Model S. True for Roadster, as the bodies were built by Lotus in the UK. False for Model S, as Tesla is building them in-house.

Best reference: National Geographic Megafactories Trailer on Vimeo

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

And, of course, most of that 45% foreign content is the Panasonic battery cells.

 

[brianman]

And, of course, most of that 45% foreign content is the Panasonic battery cells.

I'm intentionally not drawing any conclusions in this post, just sharing a link I found interesting for further discussion:
Major Sites | About AIS Company - Batteries | AIS Company | Panasonic

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

And, of course, most of that 45% foreign content is the Panasonic battery cells.

This is true whether you are talking value, or part count/weight. Outside of the batteries, by far most o what we think of as going into making a "car" is produced from scratch at the tesla factory. Certainly the frame and body is virtually 100% produced by Tesla, just as most (or all) of the drivetrain, excluding the batteries, is.

 

[mknox]

And, of course, most of that 45% foreign content is the Panasonic battery cells.

Is this by weight, volume or dollar value? I never really understood this metric.

 

[Dave EV]

The Leaf is also 45%.

I'm pretty sure that is high. Someone looked at the domestic content label of a recent Tennessee LEAF and it was only 15% domestic content - not sure why they don't appear to be using batteries/motors out of the Tennessee plant yet...
My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - 2013 Smyrna built Leaf still has Japan sourced drivetrain

 

[Jeff N]

I can't confirm this link's validity, but for comparison, it suggests the Volt is 40%:

U.S./Canadian parts content: 40%
Major source of foreign parts content: Korea 20% (the batteries)
Engine: Austria
Transmission (Electric Drive Unit): Japan

The Volt's gas engine is already made in the USA now and the battery cells are being made in Michigan starting this summer.

 

[bollar]

The Volt's gas engine is already made in the USA now and the battery cells are being made in Michigan starting this summer.

Makes sense. The 2012 Volt increased to 46%:

- - - Updated - - -

I'm pretty sure that is high. Someone looked at the domestic content label of a recent Tennessee LEAF and it was only 15% domestic content - not sure why they don't appear to be using batteries/motors out of the Tennessee plant yet...
My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - 2013 Smyrna built Leaf still has Japan sourced drivetrain

The 2012 and 2013 Leaf primary window stickers don't include the foreign parts content, so it has been difficult to research. I did find this article on greencarreports that suggests that ~80% of the content is domestic. That's a huge variance from the link -- perhaps that person got it backwards?

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1084088_2013-nissan-leaf-driven-through-tennessee-countryside

Unfortunately, the 2013 is not included on the NHTSA database yet. The 2012 is all Japanese, of course: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Act+%28AALA%29+Reports