When Sandy Munro took to California on the 2021 Tesla Model 3 he and his team will break down, we were sure he would talk to Elon Musk along the way. Not in California, as Tesla’s CEO now lives in Texas. And it was there, in Boca Chica, that Munro recorded this nearly 49-minute interview with him. In addition to discussing a wide range of topics – structural batteries, mega castings, autopilot, FSD … – Musk also admitted some manufacturing issues.
The first topic was probably the hardest, where Munro mentioned the problems he had with the first teardown he had on a Tesla, a 2018 Model 3. The engineer also discovered problems with the 2021 car, especially with regard to the openings in the panels, and he called it and Cory Steuben found an absolutely pristine.
Musk told him they’ve been trying to perfect the production and admitted for the first time that the Model 3’s paint job didn’t always have time to dry. This could explain the problems of the multi-unit vehicle, born of the “production hell” Tesla had with the Model 3. The problem has now apparently disappeared.
Munro then told Musk that the seats in Model 3 are the most comfortable he’s ever had the pleasure of using, and they discussed how vertical integration made that possible. According to Munro, chairs built by a supplier would look different on the outside, but similar in structure to others.
Munro and Musk later spoke about Autopilot, and the Canadian engineer said he was very impressed with FSD. Munro also enjoyed the freedom Autopilot gave him to monitor the environment while driving – something he’s never done before, but he warned Musk that Autopilot needs to better handle how roads differ between states.
At this point, the conversation turned to one of Munro’s favorite topics: mega castings. Musk again confessed that with so many parts, the Model 3 body wouldn’t be flawless. According to Tesla’s CEO, they had the right answers to the wrong production questions. The correct answer was the mega castings.
Munro told Musk he was disappointed to see that the Model 3 did not have the mega one-piece casting, and the Tesla CEO told the engineer that it was not possible to change the tires on the bus while driving at a speed of 130 km / h on the road.
In other words, only vehicles made in the company’s new factories will receive these constructs, as they are used right away in manufacturing. In the Model 3 made in Fremont, that would mean ceasing production of the car that pays Tesla’s bills.
In these nearly 49 minutes, Musk and Munro also talked about the structural battery pack, a more precise assembly process this part, and the mega castings will allow the redesigned Model S and X to not have 12V lithium-ion batteries, the EV crossover point – when electric cars will be the majority on the market – the wiring harness revolution that the Model Y promises and hasn’t delivered on, and some final notes.
In it, Munro attempted to ask Musk what he thought of MBAs, short sellers and got back to FSD, which Musk said is trying to promote in the safest way. Autonomous driving specialists such as John Krafcik disagree. NTSB member Jennifer Hommendy and David Zipper asked the federal government to impose professional testing.
Regardless of the controversy, Musk said FSD would take drivers home if it detects they are sleeping in the car. If they have a medical condition, the car will take them to the nearest hospital – probably when it is no longer on beta testing. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing right now, make sure to do it when you can.