Chinese quality concerns.

[drscot]

I HOPE none of my Cybertruck will be built in China. Chinese quality with only one notable exception has been rather poor, especially with electronics. My iPhone had to be replaced twice, and my newest model once so far. The history of tainted goods exported from China to the USA is well-documented, from toxic gypsum wallboard, tainted pet food (and fatal), cadmium laced paint for children's toys, tainted baby formula etc. All well documented. You can't make this stuff up. I don't trust the Chinese quality control for ANYTHING! When they launched their astronauts into earth orbit, all I could think was "those poor bastards!" In my opinion, Chinese quality is about where Japanese quality was in the 1950's.

If the decision is ever made to bring Chinese manufactured Tesla vehicles to the USA, it will be a huge mistake, in my opinion. I didn't even buy tires made in China (turned out to be a good decision based on consumer reports); I certainly wouldn't buy a Tesla made there. I'm afraid the quality difference will become evident.

Advertisement

 

[Tim.Luchenko]

Great point, but does not seem Fremont quality is better

 

[T3slaDad]

As a brand owner, I know what you mean about Chinese quality concerns. However, it comes down to price the brand is willing to pay many times. For example, if I want to make a fancy toothpick device, I can receive bids from various manufacturing facilities in China with pricing ranging anywhere from 20c/device to $2.15/device. The biggest difference? Quality.

You can bet more and more brand owners are going for the cheap stuff while keeping the price as high as they can for their consumers. Only the best brands are willing to pay for the top quality manufacturing methods and materials. I have faith that even for Chinese supplies, Tesla is obsessing over quality instead of unit pricing whenever possible.

Practically everything you buy has some Chinese components to it, that's just a fact of life. This even goes for "Made in America" items!! They are purchased overseas and the parts are assembled here and then permitted to say it was made in America. Very rarely are ALL the components and materials manufactured here anymore.

Long story short, Tesla using Chinese components in the CT is going to be a reality SOMEWHERE on the truck, whether you like it or not. Will it be good or bad quality? My bet is on superior quality. Just don't knock something because it's from China, there's a lot more to it than the country of origin.

Also, the components you're likely most worried about will be manufactured in the USA (batteries, body, etc). It's the little pieces and electronics that likely will come from China.

 

[TirNaOg]

Lets see how the new M3s going to EU are like.
My guess they will be fine. The Usual Tesla QA issues probably.

 

[Luke42]

As a brand owner, I know what you mean about Chinese quality concerns. However, it comes down to price the brand is willing to pay many times. For example, if I want to make a fancy toothpick device, I can receive bids from various manufacturing facilities in China with pricing ranging anywhere from 20c/device to $2.15/device. The biggest difference? Quality.

My job also involves working with Chinese manufacturers, and this is definitely the case.

Just like doing business here in the US, the jankyness-level of companies varies -- and the less janky they are, the more they charge.

Doing business in China can be downright foreign sometimes but, when you get down to brass tacks, it isn't so different. Everyone is still trying to get ahead by working hard and making money.

I have no hesitation about using Chinese parts, assuming we buy the good stuff and that quality standards are adhered to -- but I say exactly the same thing about buying American parts. The world's electronics supply chain passes through Shenzhen and Hong Kong no matter what you do, so there will always be some parts from there in any electronic device -- and the folks I've worked with from there are world-class at what they do. What I care about are standards and quality. If the company I'm doing business with buys the good stuff from China (or anywhere else in the world), the device will function the way it's supposed to and last as long as it's supposed to.

Like everything else in manufacturing, though, the details matter.

 

[Crissa]

I HOPE none of my Cybertruck will be built in China. Chinese quality with only one notable exception has been rather poor,

Nearly all the parts used to make your post here was made in China.

Chinese build quality varies wildly. Just like everywhere else. It depends on how closely quality control looks at it, what kind of management, etc.

-Crissa

 

[drscot]

As a brand owner, I know what you mean about Chinese quality concerns. However, it comes down to price the brand is willing to pay many times. For example, if I want to make a fancy toothpick device, I can receive bids from various manufacturing facilities in China with pricing ranging anywhere from 20c/device to $2.15/device. The biggest difference? Quality.

You can bet more and more brand owners are going for the cheap stuff while keeping the price as high as they can for their consumers. Only the best brands are willing to pay for the top quality manufacturing methods and materials. I have faith that even for Chinese supplies, Tesla is obsessing over quality instead of unit pricing whenever possible.

Practically everything you buy has some Chinese components to it, that's just a fact of life. This even goes for "Made in America" items!! They are purchased overseas and the parts are assembled here and then permitted to say it was made in America. Very rarely are ALL the components and materials manufactured here anymore.

Long story short, Tesla using Chinese components in the CT is going to be a reality SOMEWHERE on the truck, whether you like it or not. Will it be good or bad quality? My bet is on superior quality. Just don't knock something because it's from China, there's a lot more to it than the country of origin.

Also, the components you're likely most worried about will be manufactured in the USA (batteries, body, etc). It's the little pieces and electronics that likely will come from China.

Electronics are the biggest worry. I have yet to purchase any Made in China electronics that were anything but a POS. They were either DOA or soon thereafter. Only one particular gun purchase is known to have exceptional quality, and of course it isn't electronic. Even my iPhones had to be replaced due to manufacturing defects multiple times. Maybe the glass was Made in China! LOL!

 

[Crissa]

Electronics are the biggest worry. I have yet to purchase any Made in China electronics that were anything but a POS.

It's very unlikely the device you used to post this wasn't made in China, and the components are almost certainly made there.

-Crissa

 

[Mini2nut]

The amount of Chinese made products in Costco is mind boggling.

 

[ldjessee]

I HOPE none of my Cybertruck will be built in China. Chinese quality with only one notable exception has been rather poor, especially with electronics. My iPhone had to be replaced twice, and my newest model once so far. The history of tainted goods exported from China to the USA is well-documented, from toxic gypsum wallboard, tainted pet food (and fatal), cadmium laced paint for children's toys, tainted baby formula etc. All well documented. You can't make this stuff up. I don't trust the Chinese quality control for ANYTHING! When they launched their astronauts into earth orbit, all I could think was "those poor bastards!" In my opinion, Chinese quality is about where Japanese quality was in the 1950's.

If the decision is ever made to bring Chinese manufactured Tesla vehicles to the USA, it will be a huge mistake, in my opinion. I didn't even buy tires made in China (turned out to be a good decision based on consumer reports); I certainly wouldn't buy a Tesla made there. I'm afraid the quality difference will become evident.

Do you read the news about all the food products made here in the US that has been recalled, pulled from shelves?

I have heard this about every country out there (except Germany) that someone thinks makes horrible products or has no quality control.

If you want people to buy less foreign made products, pay employees enough to buy US made products. If you do not employ people, push the government to raise the minimum wage so citizens can buy US made products.

 

[T3slaDad]

If you do not employ people, push the government to raise the minimum wage so citizens can buy US made products.

This is not the best solution. A better one is to embrace and support companies that are making products in the USA. The problem though, is you will never know who truly does, as many "made in USA" products are simply "assembled in USA with parts imported from China, which makes it legal for us to say made in USA." I work with other brand owners all the time who use this exact tactic because it gets them more business.

Trust me, there's no winning the fight over Chinese imports. Choose your companies wisely, don't trust John Doe brand simply because it says "Made in USA."

I love our country as much as you do, the struggle is real, but please don't hate an entire country's craftsmanship simply because you put your trust in bad apples before (no pun intended). China makes great stuff, too!

 

[CybrTrkWdWk]

Companies set the standards for how their products are made in China. If they are trying to make things as cheap as possible, quality will suffer. If they set high standards quality will be high (such as Apple). If you are buying products from places like Costco, Walmart, etc., you are buying budget price products that will often suffer in quality. I buy US made products when I can, but the same rules apply. At least the poorly made products here aren't generally poisonous.

Tesla is a company that, like Apple sets high standards for their products, so I have no concerns about there being some Chinese parts in them. Their main issue is assembly consistency.

 

[Crissa]

It doesn't matter what country things are made in. There's always someone looking to cut corners, Sometimes this saves us money, sometimes it reduces the average sock size so they no longer fit the larger size feet.

This isn't unique to China or the US. It's a constant vigilance to keep products going. And it's easy to make mistakes, too, swapping in a 300W part where you're supposed to have a 500W when they're both boxes with the same cables on them (a recent example of a recall) or one worker swapping the order of how glue is applied (the Nissan recall). (Both of these were US recalls, both by error rather than intent.) Even if you have good products and parts, it can happen.

-Crissa

 

[drscot]

It's very unlikely the device you used to post this wasn't made in China, and the components are almost certainly made there.

-Crissa

True, which proves my point. Apple had to replace my new 27" iMac even after their standard replacement period. The one I received initially was a lemon, with hardware problems cropping up starting on day 3. It was all documented. They sent me a new one. Already had to replace iPhones too due to manufacturer's defects. My fears are well-founded experientially. American quality is superior.

 

[Crissa]

True, which proves my point. ... American quality is superior.

Uhh, Apple is an American company with American standards.

So not as much as you think.

-Crissa