Project - Vehicular Crash safety Systems
What is Tesla?
Tesla is an electric vehicle (EV) maker located in Palo Alto, California. Its goal is to produce electric cars that are either premium or affordable for everyday consumers. The company is run by CEO and founder Elon Musk.
Outside of EVs, Tesla is also exploring a wider ecosystem, offering a number of other solutions that leverage its experience in battery power, such as solar panels and power storage.
What are Tesla Superchargers?
Tesla Superchargers are charging stations that have popped up all over the globe in the past 10 years. It's the electric car equivalent of a gas station. While users can charge their car at home with wall-mounted chargers, Superchargers can recharge a near-dead 85kWh battery in about 70 minutes or get it to 50 percent in 20 minutes.
Tesla cars ordered before January 2017 can use the Supercharger stations for free, while all other cars are allotted 400kWh per year for free. After that users will have a small fee, but it's still nothing compared to what filling up a tank of gas costs.
Tesla more recently introduced V3 Superchargers, which will increase the charging to 250kW, potentially halving the charge time for compatible vehicles. Tesla's cars are also compatible with other chargers (as long as the plug fits), but Superchargers are exclusive to Tesla cars.
What is Tesla Autopilot?
Autopilot is a part safety feature, part James Bond-level car tech. It uses cameras that are strategically placed, allowing the car to do things like keep in the center of a road lane, change lanes, and be more adaptive while in cruise control. At a basic level that will allow adaptive cruise control and steering, while Autopilot Enhanced also allows automatic lane changes, parking, and Summon (from the app on your phone).
The goal of Autopilot is to eventually lead to autonomous driving. Starting in October 2016, every car Tesla produced came with the inherent hardware to use Autopilot. By 2019 it was standard.
Tesla continues to push update options, with more enhanced self-driving features, the latest of which include integration with navigation - so the car knows where you're going. The latest updates aim to deliver Autopilot control around city streets.
What about the Semi?
Semi
The Tesla Semi is exactly what it sounds like a Semi-trailer truck. A prototype debuted in late 2017 and was planned for production in 2020 - but it hasn't officially surfaced yet.
Tesla initially claimed the truck would have a 500-mile range on a full charge and would be able to run for 400 miles after an 80 percent charge in 30 minutes using new "Tesla Megacharger" charging stations.
Musk said the Semi would come standard with Tesla Autopilot, allowing semi-autonomous driving on highways.
Which Tesla car is right for you?
Tesla is always looking at expanding its offering. With the Model S making a huge impact on the market as one of the first pure electric cars, it's a company that's hugely disruptive.
All the ranges we've provided are from Tesla's cited ranges (from its US pages, the UK pages might be slightly different), but will vary depending on driving style and environmental factors. Tesla has also changed the positioning of its models recently and, in some cases, offers an upgrade to unlock power or issues firmware updates that changes the official figures on ranges. Prices for Europe are from Germany.
There are four current on-sale models, with a number of different versions to choose from. Note that recently the Model S and Model X stopped being listed as available in the UK and Europe, so there are either no prices or old prices, for these models.
Tesla Model S
- Starting price: $94,990 / £91,980 / €112,990
- Availability: US, UK, and Europe
- Read our Tesla Model S review
The Model S is very much an executive saloon, with similar long and low design lines as you might find on a Jaguar. The Model S originally launched in 2012 and helped to put Tesla on the map as an automaker. Tesla has continued updating the Model S since its release, and there are currently two versions: Model S and Plaid. The Long Range, Standard, and Performance model names have also been recently used.
While some earlier editions of the Model S offered rear-wheel drive, all the latest Model S models operate in all-wheel drive (AWD). The latest addition - and flagship - is the Plaid model, offering sub-2.0s 0-60mph - with the Plaid model offering tri-motor propulsion (over the Model S's dual-motor).
All models offer Autopilot as standard - which brings a range of driver assistance - but there's the option for Enhanced Autopilot for $6,000 (£ / €3,800) which adds navigation to Autopilot, self-parking, auto lane changing, Summon, and Smart Summon, or there's the full self-driving upgrade at $12,000 (£6,800 / €7,500), which adds traffic light and stop sign control, and autosteer on city streets.
- Model S: AWD, 405 miles, 0-60mph in 3.1s
- Model S Plaid: AWD, 396 miles, 0-60mph in 1.99s
Tesla Model 3
- Starting price: $42,990 / £42,990 / €43,990
- Availability: US, UK, and Europe
- Read our Tesla Model 3 review
The Model 3 launched in the US in 2016 as the affordable alternative to the Model S, with prices having dropped to make it the most affordable Tesla. The Model 3 has been hugely successful and is the most common Tesla you'll see on the roads.
A four-door sedan, the Model 3 launched with a range of options, but that's been refined to just three that are currently available. Ranges are based on combined figures. Autopilot is standard, but Enhanced Autopilot costs $6,000 (£3,400 / €3,800) the full self-driving upgrade is $15,000 / £6,800 / €7,500.
Currently, the Model 3 Long Range is listed as becoming available in 2023 in the US.
- Model 3: RWD, 272 miles, 0-60mph in 5.8s
- Model 3 Long Range: AWD, 334 miles, 0-60mph in 4.2s
- Performance: AWD, 315 miles, 0-60mph in 3.1s
Tesla Model X
- Starting price: $109,990 / £98,980 / €120,990
- Availability: US, UK, and Europe
- Read our Tesla Model X review
Tesla's Model X is the "soccer mom's" answer to the electric car. It's an SUV-style EV capable of seating seven people.
It uniquely features rear Falcon Wing doors (think the DeLorean in Back to the Future) that, along with the huge touchscreen inside, will make all your kids think you bought a car from the future. There are two models, but three different seating configurations - you can choose 5 (included), 6 ($6,500 extra), or 7 ($3,500 extra). Autopilot is included, again with Enhanced Autopilot for $6,000 (£3,400 / €3,800) and the full self-driving upgrade option is $15,000 / £6,800 / €7,500.
- Model X: AWD, 351 miles, 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds
- Model X Plaid: AWD, 333 miles, 0-60mph in 2.5s
As with the Tesla Model S, there have been a number of different versions of the Model X, but it's now distilled into the Model X and Plaid - the latter having that tri-motor arrangement.
Tesla Model Y
- Starting price: $54,990 / £44,990 / €44,890
- Availability: US / UK / Europe
- Read our Tesla Model Y review
The Tesla Model Y fills the space between the Model 3 and the Model X, as a compact SUV. It will seat five, offers plenty of space, but will really appeal to those looking for something more affordable than the Model X. There's the option for a $1000 tow hitch, either five or seven seats ($4000), and the same Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-Driving Capability upgrades as the other models.
The compact SUV segment is the biggest selling at the moment, so it's a key target for Tesla. Tesla originally suggested four models would be available, but currently offers three specifications:
- Model Y: RWD, 283 miles, 0-60mph in 6.6s
- Model Y Long Range: AWD, 330 miles, 0-60mph in 4.8s
- Model Y Performance: AWD, 303 miles, 0-60mph in 3.5s
However, it appears that there will be a Standard Range coming back in the future - Tesla has a reconfigured model currently only being offered to Tesla employees and most recently announced the standard model in the UK.
Cybertruck
- Starting price: $39,900/£TBC
- Availability: Expected in mid-2023
The Cybertruck was unveiled in November 2019, as Tesla switches its attention to a pick-up truck format. This is likely to be a lot more popular in the US than other regions, although reservations are open in other regions too.
The Cybertruck has a unique angular design, with a stainless steel body and armored glass - it will also have 100 CU FT (2830 litres) of storage, and towing capacity of 7,500+lbs. All these specs are for the US, with Tesla saying international specs will be developed depending on demand.
There are initially three versions of the Tesla Cybertruck being suggested:
- Single Motor RWD: 250+ miles, 0-60 in <6.5 seconds
- Dual Motor AWD: 300+ miles, 0-60 in <4.5s
- Tri Motor AWD: 500+ miles, 0-60 in <2.9s
The Dual and Tri-Motor versions will arrive first, and there have been delays in production, not expected until summer 2023.
Roadster
- Starting price: $200,000, reservations open
- Availability: Expected in 2023
The Tesla Roadster started the whole thing in 2008 - and was due to return in 2020 (it's been reviewed by some US sources, but otherwise is still only up for reservations only).
The Roadster's aim is to be the fastest electric car on the road, with some impressive figures announced so far, with a 0-60mph speed of 1.9 seconds and a top speed over 250mph. It will seat four and has a removable glass roof.
There are two versions up for reservation: the Roadster and the Founders Series, with a $50k difference in price between the two. The base specs break down as follows:
- Roadster: AWD, 620 miles, 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds
Case study: How Tesla Changed the auto industry
The premise of the case study:- When all automotive companies are focusing on Autonomous vehicles and Hybrid Vehicles, tesla showed interest in fully electric cars. Tesla didn’t invent the electric car (Scottish inventor Robert Anderson did, in 1832), but it was Tesla who popularized, pioneered, and promoted the electric car ever since the company’s founding in 2003. None of the major automotive manufacturers were making electric cars until Tesla made it cool in 2008 with its bombastic announcement of the first luxury electric car: the Tesla Roadster.
Tesla’s supply chain is its Achilles’ Heel
Tesla doesn’t meet deadlines. Tesla doesn’t meet market expectations. Tesla delivers cars riddled with defects.
Last fall, Tesla missed Model 3 production goals in Q3 2017 due to supplier issues and ended up having to redesign a key part of the Model 3. What CEO Elon Musk called “production bottlenecks” continued through Q4 2017, although by then Tesla was no longer blaming suppliers, and told investors in February that the company would produce 5,000 Model 3s a week by the end of Q2 2018.
Almost all of these problems can be attributed to a lack of funding and the fact that Tesla is still a small company, compared to the rest of the auto industry, so ramping up production for a new car is much harder for Tesla than it is for landed companies like Ford or General Motors.
Tesla’s supply chain is still in the development phase, and right now Tesla doesn’t have the capital and supplier relationships that other big automakers have.
Tesla suffers from a lack of funding and a narrow supplier base
Supply chains are critical to an automaker’s success, but the most critical part of the automaker’s supply chain is its relationship with suppliers — and that might be where Tesla is weakest.
Loh told Supply Chain Dive that in general, the auto industry doesn’t single source, and described the average auto supply chain as being far more efficient and effective than Tesla’s.
“Typically an OEM will have a supplier panel or a collection of a few suppliers, anywhere from 2-5 suppliers they source from for that commodity,” Loh said. “Oftentimes for a particular vehicle, they might be single sourced on that vehicle, like one supplier would have all of a certain part for a Honda Accord or something like that, but it’s extremely rare for a supplier to be single sourced across an entire commodity for all their vehicles.”
Then there’s the funding problem. Tesla is technically still in the red — the company isn’t profitable yet, and many critics use that fact as their main reason for arguing that Tesla isn’t worth investment or even worth paying attention to.
But when it comes to suppliers, Tesla’s lack of funding is a huge issue. For example, Tesla is trying to ramp up production of the Model 3, necessitating a high volume of parts and components from its suppliers. Because of that capital outlay, Tesla might hold off on paying upfront costs for the parts and wait until the car starts selling before paying suppliers.
“An OEM may get the best pricing if it uses all the capacity of a supplier,” Anderson said. “If an OEM only uses 20% of a supplier’s capacity, it’ll likely cost them more. (The question is) are they willing to use that as a hedge?”
That compounds the problem; now Tesla has to produce and sell as many cars as possible in order to pay suppliers and maintain strong supplier relationships. But because Tesla is still learning how to mass produce electric cars — relatively speaking, Tesla is still new to the auto industry — production problems still arise, making it increasingly difficult to sell and deliver quality cars at an efficient rate.
“In some cases, a vehicle program might be really big and the OEM might say, I’m not going to pay the supplier any upfront funding, you need to handle that cost yourself because you’ll get a big volume down the road,” Loh said. “The other extreme is low volume with very little return (for the supplier) down the road, and the OEM might need to pay for more of the engineering upfront.”
While that paints a bleak picture for any startup trying to break into the auto industry, there’s some silver lining: if you’ve got a solid vision and can sell that vision — like Tesla — suppliers just might take a risk on you.
“If you have a combination of a small budget and low volumes, then it’s trickier to get enough interest from a supplier, especially if it’s an OEM with cutting-edge technology and known for leading the market,” Loh said. “Even though the pure economics of the program isn’t normal, a supplier might say, the technology might be worth it.”
The methodology used:- They talked about how the industry is running and Tesla was running, and they mentioned the capital of the company and they have mentioned about the suppliers for the products. Those are the three key factors that will drive the auto industry.
Conclusion:- As of today there are other car companies also which are making fully electric cars. Tesla has changed the mindset of people and industry to look at electric vehicles. Nowadays electric cars are becoming big budget-saving cars in middle-class families due to less maintenance costs.
Tesla has some good cars where that have a good range. There are a few malfunctions and repairs in a few models. One can opt for Tesla cars to escape from high maintenance costs.