Howard wrote:odysseus2000 wrote:Interesting how German regulators are slowing down Tesla and now Germany companies are making some parts difficult to obtain. Could it be that German companies feel that Tesla are a threat to their existence?
Regards,
A year or two ago when VW were in the process of launching the ID3 I remember claims on this thread that a major Tesla strength vs VW was that Tesla didn't rely on other component manufacturers but made virtually every electronic component themselves.
Another myth exposed?
We now know another "fact". Tesla relies on high quality German technology for key components.
regards
Howard
As cited earlier Tesla is vertically integrated in many things and has considered building a semi fab factory to relieve one area where Tesla relies on other business. The issue was the cost of the factory and the belief that there was enough diversity in the existing fab factories to prevent monopolistic non supply. However, these considerations did not consider Covid and now the lack of a fab factory is beginning to look like an Achilles heel that they may have to address by building their own semi fab factory.
Note also that many in the manufacturing business have tried to ring alarms over the US dependence on Taiwan semi fab and that if Taiwan was occupied by the People's Republic of China that a major part of the US defence business would be compromised.
It seems a racing certainty to me that new US based semi fab factories will be considered and perhaps built.
For Tesla this would cut the dependence on various other suppliers and allow them to develop a 48 volt or similar internal architecture for their vehicles allowing a reduction in conductor mass of approximately four; electrical power is current x voltage, so quadruple the voltage and one can in principle cut wire mass by one quarter although in practice one can't do that well, one can dramatically improve over a 12 volt system, reducing vehicle weight and increasing performance and range.
Regards,
