Tesla: Break and Roll Test

I'm not all that positive on Tesla. I just have to believe that other car companies will start to take their market share. Also, recent news of them building cars in a tent just seems extreme. And I can't help but wonder if as a consumer it makes sense to be buying a car that was part of a stretch goal production target. Yet, when it was reported that Tesla was skipping the "brake-and-roll" test  (CNBC) I had to admit I was wondering why it was being made into such a big deal.

Tesla has decided to skip a "brake-and-roll" testing step in the manufacturing of its Model 3 vehicles. . . .“Every car we build goes through rigorous quality checks and must meet exacting specifications, including brake tests. To be extremely clear, we drive *every* Model 3 on our test track to verify braking, torque, squeal and rattle. There are no exceptions.”



I admit that I'm no expert on car manufacturing. In fact, I know zero about car manufacturing. And the headline does sound scary: skipping a test. But after reading various articles, it was clear that they were testing all Model 3 cars on their test track. So yes, I don't know anything about car manufacturing, but it seems to me like a test track test should be sufficient.

I came across this article (CNET) that helped validate my thought process:

Tesla is currently at a stage in Model 3 production where it feels that it physically needs to have each and every Model 3 that rolls off the line driven on an actual test track to make sure that power, torque, brakes, alignment, and of course squeaks and rattles are within spec. This makes the brake-and-roll test redundant, and a company in the midst of a production ramp like Tesla's can't afford redundancies. Tesla has confirmed to Roadshow that its brake-and-roll testing and on-track testing procedures are identical.

Reading about how Tesla is building cars in a tent. Reading about how there is high turnover -- both in the executive and manufacturing ranks. Reading about long shifts. Those are issues that I find concerning regarding how well these Tesla cars are being manufactured. But this brake-and-roll test does sound redundant.