I wonder if making the underbody as a single component might have a negative impact on repairability; if the cost saving to Tesla might be more than offset by the increased cost in insurance / repair costs over the car’s lifetime. Could it be that even a relatively minor crash means you have to write the entire car off?
I once had a 1970s Volvo with a leaking sump gasket. The only was to replace it was to remove the entire engine - a huge amount of work. I guessed at the time that it was cheaper for them to make the car that way.
AKE Price at posting:
$12.71 Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held