Tesla Inc. Founder and CEO Elon Musk, aka The Cybertruck, discusses his unique role in the auto industry and how he’s impacted
Some of the problems Tesla is facing — including first-quarter profits that are down 9 percent from last year, stressful months for shareholders and layoffs of about a tenth of its work force — are the result of factors affecting the electric vehicle industry as a whole. But many of Tesla’s troubles are unique to Tesla and the fact that its chief executive and co-founder, Elon Musk, is unique to the auto industry. He’s a Silicon Valley creature in a Detroit ecosystem who values innovation for its own sake, even at times when he could be more focused on safety and quality. His ethos and approach to running Tesla are embodied by his pet project, the Cybertruck.
The truck is not technically a truck and doesn’t fit the technical definition of one, but it looks like an El Camino. Some owners say it rusts, and Mr. Musk suggested it might be bulletproof.
It is not uncommon for new cars and trucks to have flaws, but the Cybertruck was recalled due to a problem that was like a gaping-hole-in-the-canopy. There are some owners who have been warned that the vehicle may suddenly lose its power. And you may want to watch your fingers with the frunk (front trunk) and doors; they don’t have industry standard sensors that can keep doors from snipping off someone’s digits. The lead engineer said that the steel doesn’t rust and the company is working on the issue.
Underbody assembly for the Next Generation Electric Cars: Autonomous versus Unboxed Production of the Model Y Crossover and Cybertruck
The gigacasting process, which was supposed to be used to make the underbody of the vehicles, has been put on hold, according to two sources with knowledge of the move. It was another sign that the company was pulling back from some of its previously reported plans as it struggles to adapt to falling sales and shrinking profits.
The company promoted a manufacturing process called “unboxed” in which parts are assembled in dedicated areas of a factory and then put together at the end. The process was promised to speed up car building while also cutting costs in half.
But now the company is reportedly sticking to the manufacturing process that it uses for its Model Y crossover and Cybertruck vehicles, in which the underbody is pieced together from three pieces: two gigacasted front and rear sections and a mid-section made from aluminum and steel where the battery is stored, Reuters says.
Much hope was pinned on the company’s forthcoming affordable EV, the so-called $25,000 “Model 2.” But then Reuters reported last month that Musk canceled the project, preferring to sink the company’s resources into a fully autonomous robotaxi.
Musk said during the earnings call that he was not going to give much information about the specifics of the plan to make more affordable EVs. In its Q1 report, the electric car maker said its next generation models, which will utilize aspects of the next generation platform, as well as aspects of our current platforms, will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle lineup.