Tesla To Upgrade Interiors So They Look Like They Belong In A $100K Vehicle

Wise decision!

It's about time for an interior refresh. There haven't been any dramatic changes since 2012 besides upgrading the seats and center console. I hope they take some ideas from the Model 3 like the new HVAC system and cupholder layout.

Hope they add seat ventilation too.

So, Tesla hired the interior design person from Volvo - which does produce some beautiful interiors! The investing press has recently reported that senior employees are leaving Tesla in droves...

Something Weird Is Going On At Tesla - By Parke Shall

(a) Executives continue to leave Tesla in droves; (b) Does the company have a communication problem?; (c) Common sense says this is a warning sign. We're not looking to stir up a sensationalist narrative that doesn't have any real fact to back it up, but we can't help but notice that there seems to be an unusually high amount of executive turnover at Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). As a matter of fact, we think it's tough for anyone. The main cause of our concern of recent was the departure of VP of Tesla Energy, Mateo Jaramillo. Electrek reported:

“….Electrek has learned that Mateo Jaramillo, Vice-President at Tesla Energy and one of the early members of the company's stationary storage effort, is leaving Tesla after 7 years. The company's energy storage division has undergone a restructuring over the last few months ahead of the merger with SolarCity, but a source familiar with the situation told us that Jaramillo's departure from the company is unrelated to the recent shake-up at Tesla Energy…”.

Jaramillo follows in a long line of executives that have left the company. As was noted in a past article, Tesla has now lost its VP of Tesla Energy, VP of Global Communications, VP of Product Technology, VP of Finance and Worldwide Controller, VP of Production, Chief Information Officer and VP of Manufacturing all just this year. Also remember when the head of the Model X resigned back in August of 2015 prior to the Model X getting its poor reviews in Consumer Reports of late? The news that Tesla's VP of Service is taking a leave of absence right ahead of the Model X launch strikes us as, again, incredibly bad timing.

We have a long wondered as to whether or not there is a communication issue at Tesla. The CEO often seems to be conveying a message of production targets and financial targets that the company isn't able to hit. Is this a product of unrealistic thinking on behalf of the CEO? Or, is it possible that the CEO simply isn't communicating well with the rest of his company? Could these executives be leaving because of the mad genius Elon Musk himself?

Could Tesla please die on January 19th?

From what I know about the work culture, I can't imagine many salaried employees working more than 4-5 years at Tesla. 60+ hour workweeks are the norm and I'm sure it is 80+ hours for executives. Employees take huge pride in the products and the vision, but there are no "easy" jobs at the company. It's an intense atmosphere and execs will burn out faster than others. If you want to change the world, you usually have to make some sacrifices.

Many people worked over the Christmas break, meaning less time with their families. On the flipside, this video was just released of a Tesla potentially saving the lives of a family: https://electrek.co/2016/12/27/tesla-autopilot-radar-technology-predict-accident-dashcam/ (Sidenote that there is no other car for sale today that can brake based on what is happening 2-cars ahead).

Tesla is not going that quickly - Matt. But - the longer it takes to get a mass market vehicle into play - the more competition will be available - and not limited to the one price - one company - monopoly - with little service available in most areas. You can bet that Audi and GM dealers will be willing to haggle to get a sale. ANd unless Tesla opens up - they will automatically be behind in sales and service outlets - where they will NEVER be able to compete if they don't bring in outside franchises. One must also remember that because they retail their own product and don't have franchise sales outlets - they should be making a lot more profit on their vehicles because they don't need two profits - wholesale and retail - which they aren't. Musk has wasted too much money on other purchases and will need still more money - but this time it will dilute the shares and cost other people money - and THEY will complain.

I'd have to agree, the interior is boring. For an older guy like me, I appreciate a lush interior more than anything in a car.