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dgpcolorado
high altitude member
^ The Model 3 is dependent on Tesla making enough money on the X (and S) to finish the Gigafactory as well as design and scale up production for the "3". It is not necessarily a sure thing.
disagree. they still have a lot of engineering work to do on the MX IMO. chairs, console, all still seem to be 'beta' and not really final production versions yet. that plus autopilot and lots of other things. they've got a lot of work on their hands still.
Ya, but the 3 will be easier, so get a small team on that and get it out.
None of that fancy stuff that is so troublesome.
Just a front (or rear) single motor job on a slab of batteries.
With doors that, you know, open and close normally. ... using your own arm power for heaven's sakes.
JER
Member
I'm also finding the wait hard - for various reasons - but given the significance of Model 3 I think pushing the product out ASAP with a light R&D effort would be a bad idea. It's not likely to happen under Elon's leadership, either.
Launching the 3 is Tesla's main strategic objective; it would undermine the company's purpose if the 3 is flawed in some significant way.
It is also expected to be Elon's last hurrah as CEO at Tesla. He's on record as wanting to step down to a less demanding role at Tesla so he has more time for SpaceX. The 3 must be right first time to get what he wants.
Launching the 3 is Tesla's main strategic objective; it would undermine the company's purpose if the 3 is flawed in some significant way.
It is also expected to be Elon's last hurrah as CEO at Tesla. He's on record as wanting to step down to a less demanding role at Tesla so he has more time for SpaceX. The 3 must be right first time to get what he wants.
Breezy
Member
Yep, Model X seems okay. Doors are cool. Maybe I'll even get a used one.
But I'm here for the Model 3.
But I'm here for the Model 3.
I think they will be tweaking and addressing concerns/options for the forseeable future on the X, likely up until the 3 reveal. Then things will be sell, sell, sell to get to the 3, which is why many of us are here at all. Its fun to look at the S and X, but for those of us who will never be able to afford one its just that... Fun. The 3 is something I will stretch my budget to get.
MassModel3
Member
They'll be changing up the interior stuff for the life of the vehicle, just like they change up the seats, liners, or other interior options of the S every once in a while. But the software items like TACC and auto-pilot are going to be the same across the line-up, so as they improve it on the S and roll it out on the X, they're also perfecting it for the yet-to-be-built Model 3. Those engineering resources are cross-platform and will not take away from the 3 to improve the X.
ratsbew
Active Member
Yep. I can't find the video, but he definitely said this. I'm betting Model 3 is already in the alpha stage. They probably have a good idea of the basic look and features.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
At the party last night, a few of us, including @Kipernicus and @spentan, ran into a design engineer from Franz's team at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne. He had helped design some of the Model X but, they have apparently come a long way with the Model 3 already. He said - with a twinkle in his eye - that we'd really like what we'll see next spring.
You mean you can't find the thread _you_ started with the link the video.
Here:
JB Straubel - Some new Model 3 slides
You linked to:
JB STRAUBEL ON HOW TO SPEED INNOVATION LIKE TESLA - CO-OP THINK - YouTube
The quote is, I think: "We're actually working on a vehicle internally we call the Model 3. This is where most of our R&D is focused right now."
Trev Page
Member
Here's a quote from Elon to the media at the X event:
Tesla bit off more than they could chew with the X and delays were due to a combination of this and unexpected demand for Model S which they had to focus their energies on ramping up production. A side benefit for the S from the X delays were autopilot and dual motor drives. Those were moved into production before the X was ready which turned out to be a good thing.
In any case, Model 3 is a cheaper and less complex car so engineering should be easier. The team is quite aware of the timeline at stake here. The 3 is directly tied to the Gigafactory for the scale and production of cells so timing is critical. However they couldn't start Model 3 design and engineering until they knew the cell situation 100%. It seems that's been sorted out since at least the beginning of this year.
There's a couple of great articles by Randy Carlson about the 3 over at Seeking Alpha if you're interested in reading them. Not sure if they're 100% accurate but it's an interesting study on Tesla and reading the between the lines:
Will Tesla's Model 3 Compete? - Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) | Seeking Alpha
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3537486-its-game-over-tesla-wins
Tesla bit off more than they could chew with the X and delays were due to a combination of this and unexpected demand for Model S which they had to focus their energies on ramping up production. A side benefit for the S from the X delays were autopilot and dual motor drives. Those were moved into production before the X was ready which turned out to be a good thing.
In any case, Model 3 is a cheaper and less complex car so engineering should be easier. The team is quite aware of the timeline at stake here. The 3 is directly tied to the Gigafactory for the scale and production of cells so timing is critical. However they couldn't start Model 3 design and engineering until they knew the cell situation 100%. It seems that's been sorted out since at least the beginning of this year.
There's a couple of great articles by Randy Carlson about the 3 over at Seeking Alpha if you're interested in reading them. Not sure if they're 100% accurate but it's an interesting study on Tesla and reading the between the lines:
Will Tesla's Model 3 Compete? - Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) | Seeking Alpha
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3537486-its-game-over-tesla-wins
I'm willing to bet that the 3 is further along than most of us would suspect. Groups have been rolling off the X over the last year or so, and need something else to work on. Franz's team, powertrain engineering, etc, probably haven't had much to do on the X for a while.
It's not like the entire company has been working on the X and is now switching to the 3. I'm pretty sure there have been people working on the 3 for a while.
It's not like the entire company has been working on the X and is now switching to the 3. I'm pretty sure there have been people working on the 3 for a while.
Skotty
2014 S P85 | 2023 F-150L
Depending on how you look at it, the Model 3 has been their primary focus since nearly the start of the company. It's just a really long road to get there. Last I heard, they are supposed to show their concept design around the March 2016 time frame. (maybe just a clay form, but who knows)
Last I heard, they are supposed to show their concept design around the March 2016 time frame. (maybe just a clay form, but who knows)
Trev Page
Member
Depending on how you look at it, the Model 3 has been their primary focus since nearly the start of the company. It's just a really long road to get there.
That's not Tesla's style. When they show a new car it's a rolling prototype. Yes I know, the alpha Model S was a Mercedes S class with different panels and interior but subsequent prototypes were always the real deal.
bigbear
Member
It also depends on Elon not succumbing to a "moment of tweetness" and announcing surprise upgrades for existing vehicles in 140 characters or less. Roadster 3.0 could be followed by Models S and X 2.0. Which is fine - in due time.
Please can 2016 just be about the Model 3?
Yeah. Me neither.
