After an almost four-year wait, the Tesla Cybertruck’s development seems close to completion, with initial deliveries anticipated in late Q3 as per Tesla’s timeline.
Elon
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, recently shared a photo of a “production candidate” Cybertruck he drove, praising it as the company’s “best product ever.”
However, complacency is not on Tesla’s agenda. An internal email from Musk to Tesla employees has surfaced, urging the manufacturing team to prioritize the Cybertruck’s fit and finish, ensuring stringent quality standards.
Cybertruck
Musk’s focus is mainly on panel gaps, specifying tolerances down to “single digit microns.” His email reads:
“Given the Cybertruck’s distinctive metal composition and predominantly straight contours, any deviation stands out conspicuously.
All components—internal or from suppliers—must adhere to sub-10-micron accuracy. This mandates precision to three decimal places in millimetres, with tolerances in single digit microns. If inexpensive products like LEGO bricks and soda cans can achieve this, so can we.
Precision demands perfectionism.
Elon”
Manufacturing Challenges
This directive will likely keep Tesla’s Giga Texas team on their toes. Tesla has faced criticism for panel gap and alignment issues in previous models. The Cybertruck’s unique attributes, including its stainless steel body, sharp edges, and intricate structure, pose additional manufacturing challenges.
Even the Cybertruck “production candidate” that Musk drove displayed apparent panel gap problems. The gap between the driver’s door and the fender, as well as the misalignment of the front panel and headlight, is noticeable.
Conclusion
Musk’s comparison between LEGO products’ precision and soda cans’ precision to the intricate manufacturing methods required for the Cybertruck sparks debate. While the dissimilarity in materials and processes is evident, Musk’s message underscores his aspiration for Tesla’s vehicles to exhibit unwavering quality. It also reflects the company’s commitment to rectify past discrepancies, such as the criticized panel gaps in earlier Tesla models.
