“Tesla reminds me of Apple. It educated the high-end market for China, but it also spurred a lot of competitive, diverse brands like Xiaomi and Huawei to come up with really cool and affordable products,” said Brian Gu, the vice chairman and president of Xpeng Motors.
Similar reactions can be expected for Tesla’s entry into China’s electric vehicle market, he said, adding that Chinese companies will become more competitive as a result. The Alibaba- and Foxconn-backed company is also confident in its ability to take on Tesla in the current market.
In early 2017, Elon Musk confirmed that the future Model Y compact SUV will utilize a new electrical system with a lot less wiring. This will enable faster manufacturing and an overall less complex design. Tesla’s flagship Model S and Model X have approximately 3000 meters of wiring within the vehicle, while Tesla’s highly anticipated Model 3 will have roughly half of that at 1500 meters of wiring. Model Y will only have 100 meters of wiring. This will be 95% less than the Model 3.
Flex circuits are basically a circuit system that can be molded and changed into different shapes. Overall, it drastically reduces the amount of cables and wiring needed when producing big electric-based projects like an EV. Tesla patented a type of flexible circuit technology in 2013 for battery connection.
Tesla will be making Model 3 and Model Y in a new factory in China.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
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