Episode 499: Special Guest: Tesla Engineering VP Lars Moravy

瑞恩·麦卡弗里，特斯拉非官方播客“Ride the Lightning”的主持人，带来了一期特别节目，第499集，其中包含对特斯拉工程副总裁拉斯·莫拉维的独家专访。这一集对麦卡弗里来说是一个“愿望清单”时刻，他与莫拉维进行了坦诚的对话，探讨了特斯拉的历程、创新和未来计划。 本集节目以一些例行事务开始，包括感谢听众参与关于播客方向的Patreon投票。麦卡弗里宣布，绝大多数听众希望听到关于特斯拉以外电动汽车的信息，他计划在未来探讨这个话题。他还重点介绍了关于拉斯·莫拉维采访中最受期待话题的Patreon投票结果。 本集节目的核心是与拉斯·莫拉维的深度访谈，录制地点位于特斯拉的工程总部。莫拉维分享了他的汽车历程，追溯到他小时候对修理汽车的热情，特别是修理一辆无法启动的沃尔沃140。他讨论了他在本田的早期职业生涯，在那里他在一个要求严格、类似创业公司的环境中学习了宝贵的工程原理。莫拉维转投特斯拉的动力源于将他对汽车的热情与对环境的关注相结合，他认为特斯拉是完美的选择。 莫拉维回忆了他在特斯拉的早期日子，参与了Roadster的研发，后来又参与了Model S的研发。他强调了埃隆·马斯克的明确愿景：创造世界上最好的汽车，没有任何限定条件。Model S的成功和《汽车趋势》年度汽车奖验证了他们的努力。 对话转到Model X及其具有挑战性的工程方面，特别是鹰翼门。莫拉维幽默地回忆起他在设计车门中的角色，承认了它们带来的工程复杂性。节目中还讨论了充电蛇项目的不切实际之处。 由于克服了创造过程中不可能的挑战，Cybertruck成为莫拉维最满意的项目。他回应了关于卡车不锈钢结构及其五星级碰撞安全评级的质疑。节目探讨了将Cybertruck技术转移到未来车辆的可能性，突出了无线充电和新喷漆工艺的潜力。 节目回顾了Model 3产能爬坡期间臭名昭著的“生产地狱”。莫拉维回忆起巨大的压力和漫长的工作时间，并感谢他的妻子在那段时间给予他的支持。他将Model 3具有挑战性的生产与Model Y更顺利的发布进行了对比，尽管COVID-19疫情扰乱了发布计划。 下一代Roadster也占据了一部分内容，莫拉维表示它仍在开发中。在特斯拉工程总部看到了新技术的演示后，Roadster的项目目标“显著提高”。当被问及是否测试了SPACEX套件时，莫拉维“既不证实也不否认我们正在测试它”。 莫拉维分享了关于新款Model Y的见解。他们希望新款Model Y优先考虑舒适性而非性能，并将从新款Model 3开发的技术转移过来。重点是诚实地评估挑战并管理工厂的变更。他解释说，Model 3在设计时没有采用压铸工艺，因为当时可用的机器数量有限。所有可用的资源都优先用于Model Y。 莫拉维表示，最初的热泵系统是他职业生涯中最伟大的工程壮举。它打破了现有HVAC系统的规则，并彻底改变了行业使用热控制的方式。最后，他被问及一些关于前保险杠摄像头和转向灯拨杆的问题。最后，当被问及他是否可以透露一个关于特斯拉正在研发的经济型汽车的工程秘闻时，他的回答是：“我认为最困难的部分是如何不让汽车变得更糟。” 采访结束后，麦卡弗里分享了他对新款Model Y的驾驶体验。

Ryan McCaffrey, host of the Tesla unofficial podcast "Ride the Lightning," presents a special episode, number 499, featuring an exclusive interview with Lars Moravie, Tesla's Vice President of Engineering. This episode marks a bucket list moment for McCaffrey, as he delves into a candid conversation with Moravie, exploring Tesla's journey, innovations, and future plans. The episode starts with housekeeping items, including thanking listeners for participating in Patreon polls about the podcast's direction. McCaffrey announces that listeners overwhelmingly want to hear about EVs beyond Tesla, a topic he plans to explore in the future. He also highlights the Patreon poll regarding the most anticipated topics from the Lars Moravie interview. The centerpiece of the episode is the in-depth interview with Lars Moravie, recorded at Tesla's engineering headquarters. Moravie shares his automotive journey, tracing back to his childhood passion for fixing cars, specifically a non-running Volvo 140. He discusses his early career at Honda, where he learned valuable engineering principles in a demanding, startup-like environment. Moravie's transition to Tesla was driven by a desire to merge his automotive passion with environmental concerns, seeing Tesla as the perfect fit. Moravie recalls his early days at Tesla, working on the Roadster and later the Model S. He emphasizes Elon Musk's clear vision: to create the best car in the world without qualifiers. The Model S's success and Motor Trend Car of the Year award validated their efforts. The conversation shifts to the Model X and its challenging engineering aspects, particularly the Falcon Wing doors. Moravie humorously recounts his role in designing the doors, acknowledging the engineering complexities they presented. The impracticality of the charger snake project is also discussed. Cybertruck emerges as Moravie's most satisfying project due to the impossible challenges overcome in its creation. He addresses the skepticism surrounding the truck's stainless steel construction and its five-star crash safety rating. The transfer of Cybertruck technologies to future vehicles is explored, highlighting the potential for wireless charging and new paint processes. The infamous "production hell" during the Model 3's ramp-up is revisited. Moravie recounts the intense pressure and long hours, expressing gratitude to his wife for her support during that period. He contrasts the Model 3's challenging production with the Model Y's smoother launch, despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting launch plans. The Next-Gen Roadster gets a segment, with Moravie stating is still in development. After seeing a demonstration of new tech at the Tesla Engineering headquarters, the Roadster's project goals were "significantly increased." When asked about testing the SPACEX package, Moravie would "neither confirm nor deny that we are testing it." Moravie shares insights into the new Model Y. They want to prioritize comfort over performance with the new Model Y and transfer the technologies developed from the new Model 3. The focus was on honestly assessing challenges and managing the factory changeovers. He explains that the Model 3 wasn't designed with Giga-castings due to limited machines at the time. It's all that was available and all prioritized for the model Y. Moravie states the original heat pump system is the greatest engineering feat in his career. It broke the rules of existing HVAC systems and revolutionized how the industry used the thermal controls. Finally he was asked some quick questions on the inclusion of a front bumper camera, turn signal stock. And finally if he could let out an engineering factoid about the affordable cars Tesla's working on. His response was "I think the most kind of difficult part of doing that is like not making the cars worse." Following the interview, McCaffrey shares his driving impressions of the new Model Y.