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
I find this ironic because we all remember Kia was one of the worst companies in the 90’s and fast forwarding to today they are one of the best companies in the world alongside Hyundai, who ALSO suffered the same thing then. Why? THEY LEARNED from their mistakes. Unlike Elon, they don’t have an ego whenever someone brings up a problem from one of their cars.
While Elon (or his fans) try to hush people by almost creating a ruckuss about how the cars are doing fine, when they really aren’t. Tesla has a long road to take to learn about adding quality to cars if this is gonna be the case, maybe they’ll BE the next modern Kia if Elon decides to smarten up. But for now in the electric car world, who knows what’s happening?
Oh and also, drag strips aren’t a proving ground for cars, but a place to record acceleration numbers and reaction times where shifting is the real talent. If Tesla fans want to see their “favorite” cars real potential, go to a race track and see if the acceleration keeps up with the cornering. At least Nissan was smart enough to add better handling to the GTR in its recent update. I’m okay with Tesla but this attitude of the company being “perfect the way it is” from both the fans and the company itself turns me off almost everytime. Something’s gotta change.
So you are telling me that suddenly drag strips mean nothing? That is intersting considering EVERY performance car is measured and benchmarked on acceleration numbers FIRST and FOREMOST. Testing cars on racetracks especially on Nurb is a 10 year old tradition at best. And even for those cars, the nurburgring time is a marketing tool that is blurted AFTER acceleration time. Your point here just doesn’t hold. Tesla is financing a racing series for their electric cars. Rest assured that endeavor is meant to build experience for them, especially cooling experience which will improve future cars and outright track ability. For what? All their haters who don’t consider them real cars? When EVs will be shattering track records in few years time (when battery and motor cooling will no longer be an issue), what will you say? A track is not a real car benchmark?
A lot of the other stuff I can get behind, but not everyone has a busted-ass wrist, like this guy. That just seems like a nitpick to me.
He defenitly has a point there. The door handle should be more practical. This a pure example of form over function.
The ceo roasted kia and tesla
So much hate for Tesla this days…
it’s when you make promises you can’t keep, or when you’re about to fight with someone, you brag how about you’re gonna destroy him but in the end he destroys you
its cos its a big piece of “futuristic” crap car
I think the wire harness at the tailgate isnt living longer than 2 years… Every time the trunk is closed the wire does a 90° bend…
A video like that cant be good for sales or even resales for Tesla, it does seem though that every aspect was over thought an then putting it together was rushed
Yes, please talk more bad things about this car so I can buy mine faster!!
Tesla isn’t gonna be around in the next 5 yeas