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I kind of wonder if swapping out the drivetrain is actually a really common and perhaps early part of Tesla's troubleshooting procedure. Since it's just a moto

by tdicola 12y ago

I kind of wonder if swapping out the drivetrain is actually a really common and perhaps early part of Tesla's troubleshooting procedure. Since it's just a motor, batteries, and relatively simple transmission it probably isn't nearly as hard to remove as a combustion engine (especially if they designed it for easy removal). It's probably a lot easier to pull the drivetrain out, swap in a known good one, and have the customer on their way than spend hours and days trying to debug the unit in the car (and potentially having the customer back again if the issue isn't resolved).

sounds 12y ago
With fewer connection points it would seem a given that the drivetrain is easier to swap out than an internal combustion engine. Musk has also mentioned on an investor call that drivetrain replacements were sort of a catch-all for some other unrelated issues (before they had fully discovered the issue). Even if we err on the cautious side and say a better comparison is replacing just the transmission of an ICE vehicle, the Tesla drivetrain is only electrical connections (albeit some large ones), drive shaft, and mounting hardware. I wrote out the list of ICE transmission removal steps but deleted it -- I think the point is clear: this is no big deal. Tesla can absolutely reuse the drivetrains it removes, unless the defect is catastrophic. I wonder what exactly the cause is? (I'm sure Tesla is hard at work determining just that.) Just speculating: if Tesla has gone ahead and extended the warranty, they might be doing it because they are certain that the issues are not catastrophic. Cost/benefit analysis was probably completed to Musk's satisfaction before this announcement.
yutah 12y ago
That's why I want an electric car... Probably far fewer parts. I would be curious to compare a combustion engine car's parts list VS electric car.

by tdicola 12y ago

sounds 12y ago

With fewer connection points it would seem a given that the drivetrain is easier to swap out than an internal combustion engine. Musk has also mentioned on an investor call that drivetrain replacements were sort of a catch-all for some other unrelated issues (before they had fully discovered the issue). Even if we err on the cautious side and say a better comparison is replacing just the transmission of an ICE vehicle, the Tesla drivetrain is only electrical connections (albeit some large ones), drive shaft, and mounting hardware. I wrote out the list of ICE transmission removal steps but deleted it -- I think the point is clear: this is no big deal. Tesla can absolutely reuse the drivetrains it removes, unless the defect is catastrophic. I wonder what exactly the cause is? (I'm sure Tesla is hard at work determining just that.) Just speculating: if Tesla has gone ahead and extended the warranty, they might be doing it because they are certain that the issues are not catastrophic. Cost/benefit analysis was probably completed to Musk's satisfaction before this announcement.

yutah 12y ago

That's why I want an electric car... Probably far fewer parts. I would be curious to compare a combustion engine car's parts list VS electric car.