Decoding Tesla's Secret Formula

Keywords

tesla, robots, high-end disruption

Abstract

The first thing you notice when you step onto Tesla Motors' production floor are the robots. Eight-foot-tall bright-red bots that look like Transformers, huddling over each Model S sedan as it makes its way through the factory in Fremont, Calif., on the eastern, shaggier side of Silicon Valley. Up to eight robots at a time work on a single Model S in a choreographed routine, each performing up to five tasks: welding, riveting, gripping and moving materials, bending metal, and installing components. Henry Ford and the generations of auto industry experts who have followed would dismiss this setup as inefficient--each robot should do one task only before moving the car on to the next Transformer.

Original Publication Citation

Dyer, Jeff, Hal B. Gregersen, and Nathan Furr (2015). “Tesla’s Secret Formula.” Forbes, September 7, pp. 90-118. Cover story. Online version http://www.forbes.com/sites/innovatorsdna/2015/08/19/teslas-secret-formula

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2015

Publisher

Forbes

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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