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A manufacturing expert tears down a Tesla Model Y, revealing an impressive "mega casting" and pointing out some other surprises along the way (like a foam cube stuffed inside the body).
Sandy Munro may have one of the coolest jobs in the world. A pioneer and expert in lean design and manufacturing, the CEO of Munro & Associates runs a team of industrial wizards who help companies around the world find better ways to build things.
During the lockdown, Munro's been tearing down a pair of Tesla Model Y's and YouTubing his findings. In episode #26 (embedded in full at the bottom of this entry), he shows you the crazy "mega casting" inside the car that is unlike anything you'd see in a gasoline-powered car.
It's fun to watch because he's scribbled notes all across the car, like a design professor's critique, calling out both the good and the bad.
Also fun is when he discovers a foam cube shoved behind a subwoofer as a crude (but presumably effective and cost-effective) sound dampening device.
Enjoy:
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I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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Sandy Munro Reveals the "Mega Casting" Hidden Within a Tesla Model Y
I have a 2009 Jetta with blocks of foam dropped in different places between the trim and the chassis. I think this has been pretty common since around 2000. It's why cars have gotten so quiet over the years.
I wonder how the giant castings will endure. They must be made incredibly stiff to avoid fatigue cracking in the long term.
Thanks for pointing this out!