3 ms·

I think normally for automotive components you are obligated to use electronic components that have already been stress tested and are rated for more violent en

by rtpg 7y ago

I think normally for automotive components you are obligated to use electronic components that have already been stress tested and are rated for more violent environments (like next to an engine). I wonder if Tesla maybe skirted this (like "oh this computer isn't in the car it's an attachable add-on). Source: I interned at an electronics component company back in uni as a chip tester. Mostly same chips to everyone but ones rated for automotive or space tended to get a lot of extra testing (since failures on electronics are bimodal, running tests in extreme environments just for a bit catches a lot of the bad apples).

varjag 7y ago
This particular problem had nothing to do with temp rating however. A simple case of wearing out by exceeding the specified number of erase cycles.
kabes 7y ago
It's worse. Elon Musk used to be bragging that they used consumer grade electronics instead of automotive grade (which is higher than industrial grade). And it's already caused more issues: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows-why-automotive-grade-matters https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows... This + the horror stories I read about getting replacement parts when you damaged the car is what keeps me from buying a model 3.
- zaroth 7y ago
  They used an industrial rated screen years ago, because no one in the world made an automotive rated screen large enough at the time. They did accelerated wear tests on it and worked with the manufacturer to make some customizations to try to improve the heat resistance, as well as adding cabin overheat protection into the software. Yes, this was not enough to entirely prevent the yellowing issue on some screens. Look at, for example, what Sandy Munro says about the electronics quality specifically on the Model 3, and you will appreciate they have come a long way since then. There is no automotive company I would trust more when it comes to quality of the electronics. This is a group which taped out their own custom silicon for their APv3 hardware, designed by famed chip designer Jim Keller, and will field upgrade it into existing cars. What other manufacturer sells hardware upgrades to their late model year vehicles?
  - gamblor956 7y ago
    Munro said the Model 3 had the best powertrain of any EV on the market. He had negative things to say about the quality of the rest of their electrical components, noting that based on the cost of the components Tesla should have an 18% markup...because Tesla is using consumer grade parts, not automotive grade parts. What other manufacturer sells hardware upgrades to their late model year vehicles? Almost every car sold to consumers in the US today allows you to replace most parts of the car, which includes upgrading nearly every component, if you so desire. Sometimes the automakers sell upgrade parts; usually they leave it to third parties (i.e., the "aftermarket"). It's actually not a good thing that Tesla is the only source of upgrade parts for their vehicles.
    - zaroth 7y ago
      > He had negative things to say about the quality of the rest of their electrical components... That is simply false. Here he is talking about the Model 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnRQRdePp4&t=10m11s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnRQRdePp4&t=10m11s Their margins are better than their competitors because Tesla is vertically integrated, allowing them to do things like reduce the number of harnesses by 40%, and design solutions like the "SuperBottle" which Munro once said is his favorite part of the Model 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACdvsfZH-4w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACdvsfZH-4w And there's a world of difference between after-market upgrades (of which there are plenty for Tesla) and the manufacturer taking their latest generation technology and manufacturing and designing it so that they can slot it into late-model cars, all while constantly shipping firmware upgrades to their entire fleet which make the cars better in every possible way from speed, handling, range, efficiency, user experience, safety, entertainment, etc.

by rtpg 7y ago

varjag 7y ago

This particular problem had nothing to do with temp rating however. A simple case of wearing out by exceeding the specified number of erase cycles.

kabes 7y ago

It's worse. Elon Musk used to be bragging that they used consumer grade electronics instead of automotive grade (which is higher than industrial grade). And it's already caused more issues: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows-why-automotive-grade-matters https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows... This + the horror stories I read about getting replacement parts when you damaged the car is what keeps me from buying a model 3.

zaroth 7y ago
They used an industrial rated screen years ago, because no one in the world made an automotive rated screen large enough at the time. They did accelerated wear tests on it and worked with the manufacturer to make some customizations to try to improve the heat resistance, as well as adding cabin overheat protection into the software. Yes, this was not enough to entirely prevent the yellowing issue on some screens. Look at, for example, what Sandy Munro says about the electronics quality specifically on the Model 3, and you will appreciate they have come a long way since then. There is no automotive company I would trust more when it comes to quality of the electronics. This is a group which taped out their own custom silicon for their APv3 hardware, designed by famed chip designer Jim Keller, and will field upgrade it into existing cars. What other manufacturer sells hardware upgrades to their late model year vehicles?
- gamblor956 7y ago
  Munro said the Model 3 had the best powertrain of any EV on the market. He had negative things to say about the quality of the rest of their electrical components, noting that based on the cost of the components Tesla should have an 18% markup...because Tesla is using consumer grade parts, not automotive grade parts. What other manufacturer sells hardware upgrades to their late model year vehicles? Almost every car sold to consumers in the US today allows you to replace most parts of the car, which includes upgrading nearly every component, if you so desire. Sometimes the automakers sell upgrade parts; usually they leave it to third parties (i.e., the "aftermarket"). It's actually not a good thing that Tesla is the only source of upgrade parts for their vehicles.
  - zaroth 7y ago
    > He had negative things to say about the quality of the rest of their electrical components... That is simply false. Here he is talking about the Model 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnRQRdePp4&t=10m11s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnRQRdePp4&t=10m11s Their margins are better than their competitors because Tesla is vertically integrated, allowing them to do things like reduce the number of harnesses by 40%, and design solutions like the "SuperBottle" which Munro once said is his favorite part of the Model 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACdvsfZH-4w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACdvsfZH-4w And there's a world of difference between after-market upgrades (of which there are plenty for Tesla) and the manufacturer taking their latest generation technology and manufacturing and designing it so that they can slot it into late-model cars, all while constantly shipping firmware upgrades to their entire fleet which make the cars better in every possible way from speed, handling, range, efficiency, user experience, safety, entertainment, etc.