What I knew before visiting Tesla
Intro and Expectations
Prior to entering Tesla’ manufacturing plant, I expected to see firsthand the vision of Elon Musk unfiltered. This was his company, and the Tesla Model S and X were his cars. Musk is a man with ambitions so high they literally reach the moon. I expected this plant to be one a Musk dream machine factory, and one that produces the future in automobiles.
Visit
The interior of the plant, from a pure aesthetic standpoint, was nothing too spectacular. It had unfinished gray ceilings, and had a regular factory floor feel. The class was greeted by Maryland alumnus John Spruill. He gave us a tour of the testing facility and reliability lab, telling the class how since each car is custom-made, it takes specific testing to get the car up to snuff. It was fascinating to see this plant in contrast to typical car lots, where most cars are pre-made and ready to drive off. In here, it’s a millennial’s dream: being able to create your own ride. Tesla’s factory was made largely of robots, who were programmed to perform each task with exact precision.
As we toured the 150,000 square foot facility, we stopped by each different section, from the In-house crash facility that used machines designed to perfect airbags to the 500 kilonewton strong horizontal press, Spruill provided us interesting tidbits as to how Tesla’s culture operates. For example, Tesla will keep the crashed Model 3’s lying around the facility as a sign of where to evolve and improve the vehicle. Additionally, Tesla is a company that prides itself on making everything in-house. This vertically-integrated mindset means that all Tesla machines are made by Tesla engineers, a testament to their will to be different. It is tough for North American car companies to have long lifespans, but Tesla's supply chain system may keep them afloat for longer.
We went into a trailer afterward to ask questions. One of the more fascinating topics discussed was gender in the workplace. As I noticed inside the facility, the plant was almost entirely made up of men. Whilst rugged jobs such as engineering and mechanics were generally believed in society to be a “man’s job”, Spruill still insisted that Tesla works hard to give opportunities to women. Spruill pointed out that he had two female interns this past summer. In today's age where gender equality is so scrutinized and valued, Tesla should work more on trying to get females in the workplace, if they can do that successfully, culture would benefit and the product may improve as well.
After the presentation, the class got to sit in some of the cars, and boy, let me tell you, these cars were beyond belief. With doors the fold from the top down to a WiFi-connected radio, this car is truly worth the gaudy price tag. I guess buying one of these cars is something to strive for.
Post Visit Actions
I connected with Spruill on LinkedIn and also followed Elon Musk on Twitter. Musk usually tweets out interesting quotes or tidbits that gives a user access into his mind. Although this was purely a facility where Tesla cars are built, the generally feel of the place and the intense devotion to details would give anyone enough reason to believe in Musk’s ambitions to go to Mars. I personally am most excited for the Hyperloop, because that would make this cross-country commute go by a lot quicker. I am increasingly curious as to whether or not Tesla can improve the amount of women present at their manufacturing facilities, it can help the product.
Key Takeaways
- Multi-billion dollar company headed by eccentric CEO Elon Musk
- Involved in programs ranging from life on Mars (SpaceEx) to underground transportation (HyperLoop)
- Creates expensive, yet quality cars
Intro and Expectations
Prior to entering Tesla’ manufacturing plant, I expected to see firsthand the vision of Elon Musk unfiltered. This was his company, and the Tesla Model S and X were his cars. Musk is a man with ambitions so high they literally reach the moon. I expected this plant to be one a Musk dream machine factory, and one that produces the future in automobiles.
Visit
The interior of the plant, from a pure aesthetic standpoint, was nothing too spectacular. It had unfinished gray ceilings, and had a regular factory floor feel. The class was greeted by Maryland alumnus John Spruill. He gave us a tour of the testing facility and reliability lab, telling the class how since each car is custom-made, it takes specific testing to get the car up to snuff. It was fascinating to see this plant in contrast to typical car lots, where most cars are pre-made and ready to drive off. In here, it’s a millennial’s dream: being able to create your own ride. Tesla’s factory was made largely of robots, who were programmed to perform each task with exact precision.
As we toured the 150,000 square foot facility, we stopped by each different section, from the In-house crash facility that used machines designed to perfect airbags to the 500 kilonewton strong horizontal press, Spruill provided us interesting tidbits as to how Tesla’s culture operates. For example, Tesla will keep the crashed Model 3’s lying around the facility as a sign of where to evolve and improve the vehicle. Additionally, Tesla is a company that prides itself on making everything in-house. This vertically-integrated mindset means that all Tesla machines are made by Tesla engineers, a testament to their will to be different. It is tough for North American car companies to have long lifespans, but Tesla's supply chain system may keep them afloat for longer.
We went into a trailer afterward to ask questions. One of the more fascinating topics discussed was gender in the workplace. As I noticed inside the facility, the plant was almost entirely made up of men. Whilst rugged jobs such as engineering and mechanics were generally believed in society to be a “man’s job”, Spruill still insisted that Tesla works hard to give opportunities to women. Spruill pointed out that he had two female interns this past summer. In today's age where gender equality is so scrutinized and valued, Tesla should work more on trying to get females in the workplace, if they can do that successfully, culture would benefit and the product may improve as well.
After the presentation, the class got to sit in some of the cars, and boy, let me tell you, these cars were beyond belief. With doors the fold from the top down to a WiFi-connected radio, this car is truly worth the gaudy price tag. I guess buying one of these cars is something to strive for.
Post Visit Actions
I connected with Spruill on LinkedIn and also followed Elon Musk on Twitter. Musk usually tweets out interesting quotes or tidbits that gives a user access into his mind. Although this was purely a facility where Tesla cars are built, the generally feel of the place and the intense devotion to details would give anyone enough reason to believe in Musk’s ambitions to go to Mars. I personally am most excited for the Hyperloop, because that would make this cross-country commute go by a lot quicker. I am increasingly curious as to whether or not Tesla can improve the amount of women present at their manufacturing facilities, it can help the product.
Key Takeaways
- Tesla is passionate about vertical integration
- Instilled by Elon Musk, Tesla is constantly looking to change the future.
- Precision and speed is everything