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Comment by Jasper_ | Hacker News Reader

> Most of the design tolerances of the Model 3 are already better than any other car in the world.

Really? The Model 3's panel gaps are quite well-known among car owners. One example from Munro and Associates: https://youtu.be/QCIo8e12sBM?t=394

How can Elon say this with a straight face?

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Because, while undoubtedly talented, he's more than a bit of a bullshit artist and has no problem making proclamations that aren't true.

Presumably because he's talking about last week's improved production, not an average over all cars produced.

A bit cheeky none the less.

Startup software mindset:

"We found this massive list of a problems with this build of the car."

'So? That's from, like, a year ago, we've changed a ton of stuff since then.'

Earlier he says "Moreover, there has simultaneously been a significant improvement in quality and build accuracy, which is reflected in positive owner feedback." Sounds like he's talking about the current state of affairs, which presumably reflects changes in response to feedback like that?

Not to mention that all the COTs or nearly COTs assemblies on their cars are made to the same spec as they are for whatever other OEM buys them.

A TRW unit bearing supplied to Tesla in one bolt pattern and spline configuration isn't any more precise than the same bearing assembly in a different bolt pattern and spline configuration sold to GM.

Tesla is not in a position to dictate abnormally high tolerances to it's suppliers for stuff like that.

Edit: Why am I being down-voted. Is this not a correct analysis of the situation?

Depends on what he means by better.

Designing in tolerances that allow considerably mismatched parts to be combined is beneficial for the manufacturer, if they have a long list of people willing to buy the product regardless of the mismatch.

I guess when he starts talking about their achieved manufacturing tolerances?

Not defending the gaps, but "most of the design tolerances" != "all design tolerances". There's much more to a car than just cosmetics. And I'm not claiming that those non-cosmetic parts are all top quality, just that it's possible that they are.

His next line clarifies that it is about cosmetic parts:

> Our car needs to be designed and built with such accuracy and precision that, if an owner measures dimensions, panel gaps and flushness, and their measurements don’t match the Model 3 specs, it just means that their measuring tape is wrong.

As I understand, panel gaps are not merely cosmetic, as larger gaps adversely impact aerodynamics and, thereby, performance and efficiency.

Non-cosmetic gap: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/help-a-pillar-defect...

I think it's more "design tolerances" != "manufacturing tolerances". Tesla could design their body gaps to be 1mm but that's meaningless without the ability to manufacture them to that tolerance consistently. Tesla's quality problems are clearly a production and not a design issue. No engineer at Tesla said "Hey, let's design the model 3 with gigantic body gaps".

"Most"

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