Tearing Down the Model T of Our Time - Autoline After Hours 284
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN recommends it as a fascinating look at the i3's revolutionary materials and production methods, and as a contrast point for Tesla.
What it is
An Autoline After Hours episode where Sandy Munro discusses his complete teardown of the BMW i3, along with automotive journalists. It covers the car's carbon fiber construction and manufacturing technology.
Recommended by 6 HN commenters across 4 different months, 2015 to 2018.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec _s · 2016-04 · on “BMW Loses Core Development Team of Its I3 and I8 Electric Vehicle Line”
There was a video ( [this video] ) posted recently discussing the manufacturing tech within the i3; absolutely fascinating - the general gist being how this car is the Model T of our time. Perhaps it is a big loss or not that great; eitherway I believe the company will do just fine - they've set themselves up very well for the future unlike many of the other manufacturers in terms of brand, mobility, innovating / delivering on new tech / processes etc.
Strong rec aorth · 2018-02 · on “A Company That Tears Cars Apart to Find Out How They're Built”
I don't follow the car industry but I did happen to catch this 2015 video of Munro talking about the BMW i3. He says things like "this is the watershed," "they invented new science," "this is the Model T of our time," etc. I got a whole new respect for BMW after watching that video. Munro even followed the production chain to Morocco while investigating the costing! [this video]
Recommends janfoeh · 2015-12 · on “Volkswagen and the Blame the Engineer Game”
If anybody is interested in this kind of thing, here is an hour-long talk with a freelance analyst who disassembled the BMW i3: [this video] His agency is selling that report for $500,000. I found the whole thing quite fascinating.
Recommends jonknee · 2016-04 · on “ReachNow – BMW car sharing service in Seattle”
I've heard a lot of good things about it, including in this somehow fascinating talk about a complete teardown: [this video] tl;dr A guy who sells $500k reports of cars for competing manufacturers says the i3 is revolutionary (in materials and construction).
Recommends jonah · 2016-04 · on “BMW Loses Core Development Team of Its I3 and I8 Electric Vehicle Line”
This is a really interesting discussion about the production tech in the i3. "Cutting Edge" and "Revolutionary" are used. [this video] You can buy the report for $500k: [LINK]
Recommends retSava · 2017-09 · on “Dyson to make electric cars from 2020”
I can recommend this video: [this video] "Tearing Down the Model T of Our Time - Autoline After Hours 284" and [LINK] "BMW i3 Factory Production Tour"
Cites TimJYoung · 2018-04 · on “Tesla's Simultaneous Brilliance and Incompetence Revealed in Teardown of Model 3”
For contrast, here's Sandy Munro on the Autoline Network show talking about his teardown of the BMW i3: [this video]
Cites dao- · 2018-09 · on “Mercedes Readies First Tesla Rival in $12B Attack”
> The funny thing is, had Tesla just said: we don't need to innovate upon lean manufacturing Or had they done it the right way like BMW did with the i3. Source: BMW i3 Teardown: An Electronics Masterpiece: [LINK] Tearing Down the Model T of Our Time: [this video] (both are about the same teardown by Munro & Associates)