Tesla Model 3 Built Like A 1990s Kia, Says Engineering Firm
When we’re talking about Tesla these days, it tends to be something to do with the Model 3’s continued ‘production hell’. Production line bottlenecks have been well reported, and we all know by now that the Californian firm is way off its original build targets.
Today however, we’re looking at a different issue: the quality of the few Model 3s that Tesla has actually managed to build thus far. Initial reports from many haven’t exactly been glowing in this regard (who can forget that decidedly off door alignment seen on a Model 3 in Doug DeMuro’s in-depth look), but this particular look at the all-electric BMW 3-series rival is by far the most damning.
It comes from Sandy Munroe of Munro & Associates, a company specialising in the tear down of cars for competitive benchmarking studies. And Munroe does not like what he sees.
The company hasn’t even started the tear down yet, but already - as you’ll see in the video at the top of the page - Munroe has concerns about what might happen following an accident. The cut-off for the electrical system isn’t the easiest to get to, and the rear doors don’t have an emergency manual release, so in the event of a power failure, anyone back there would need to escape through the front doors.
He’s particularly bemused by an extra piece of fabric that’s seemingly been glued onto to one of the front doors to help it seal better, and isn’t at all impressed by the shut-lines, which aren’t just bad - they’re also inconsistent.
Anything else? Well, the door handles are deemed to be poorly designed, the tailgate isn’t the easiest to shut, and…we could go on for a while. And remember - this is just from an initial look at the car.
Munroe’s conclusion? “I don’t understand how it got to this point,” he said, adding, “These are flaws that we’d see on a Kia in the 90s.” Ouch.
Via Jalopnik
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
A company that tears down cars for benchmarking studies.OUCH!!
Every single part…I feel for that Golf tho
Probably what the Model 3 would look like after hitting a pothole.
That picture is so satisfying
Except it wouldn’t have an engine. But still its a massive ouch
I love those pictures.
They are often made for the german car magazine “Auto Bild”. Every car in their long-term tests gets disassembled.
There are a lot of pictures like that if you google “Autobild Dauertest”.
These Folks do have a point. Not to come off as a hater, but when you as a company, plan on making a 3 series rival, you should put some class. Especially, the interior and the design needs to be exciting. The competition has class, sophistication, brilliance, etc. Folks, this is what the interiors have come to. As for the 400k reservations, Musk should have thought about producing the materials, beforehand and pump out as much as 1,000 slowly, then increase it at a bit fast rate, but keep it professional and humble. Musk is brilliant, but the deadlines for his projects are crazy.
EDIT: I mean no hate to tesla in general, I love Musk and his brilliance, creativity, and positivity.
“Making a 3 series” by a company the size of Tesla, compared to a company the size of BMW is more of a marketing term. Tesla pours their money into the cars driveline and powerunits. Their precious little funds will hardly be enough for “the rest of the car”. BMW capital is substantially bigger and they have decades of carbuilding experience on their side while for Tesla this is the second car they build themselves, the first Roadster had the bodies purchased from Lotus. So their first built car is the P models. It might just be that people these days buy too much into the hype set up for marketing, taking it ad literam building a perfect version brain image of the end product, when making that perfect end product is almost impossible for a company trying to do so many things at the same time with so little. I see their haters everywhere, because EV, because quality, because production hell etc. I just see a company trying to move technology a bit forward, and doing a decent job at that. Sadly we are still at the early technology adoption phase, EVs are just not proven yet, meaning you get one so you support and enjoy the technology before the masses do. There is bound to be bugs in need of ironing out.
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Lmao what a turd
Wonder what excuse Tesla and Musk fanboys will come up with next……
DISCLAIMER: calm down fanboys, I’m not a hater, I respect Tesla and Musk fyi.
Tesla fanboys are crying in a corner
Or either preparing a distrack of excuses…
Its both. Have you seen the number of dislikes and excuses in the comments section of that video? Its mad.
At least the real apple fanboys get the phone or laptop; the real fanboys should hop on the Model S or X to support the company.
Tesla has shady build quality? Who knew?
I despise this car and most other Tesla’s. Only me?
No, plenty other on board with you who are “future challenged”. I’m sure a lot of people once considered cell phones despicable and useless, and “not a real phone” in the late 80ies and early 90ies.
The sole reason why Elon Musk’s space endeavour exists is because of his childhood dream or a marketing exercise. Its a stupid idea to colonise mars. If we keep building these colnies, we shall be no better than homeless hippies hopping from place to place.
What are you even talking about? This is about a car, not his Space X program
lol new kias are still trash
stinger?
Have you ever tried one? They have really stepped up their quality in the last couple of years.