CT Plaid - Interior by Mercedes

[Tinker71]

In my Rivian price swing post I hypothesized a $130k Plaid CT Quad 4WS. I actually think Tesla could price the CT Plaid higher than the S Plaid. After all it will have the highest range and the best tech.

Since Telsa "owes us" a CT3 tri motor level performance for $70-80K and there probably won't be that much improvement on performance between the new CT3 level (whatever it is) and the Plaid, Tesla will want to justify the $50k price swing another way. Not just first deliveries.

What if they turned over their CT Plaid power train to someone like Mercedes and said, 'build us a fancy truck interior'. I don't know how Tesla would brand this, but
Say they valued CT Plaid with a gutted interior at $90k Someone does a $25,000 interior and Tesla sells this all for $140k.

So they have a ~50% margin on the guts and 100% margin on the interior and still sell 20,000 units. They continue to make a great truck interior common across the other tiers without pulling resources on designing and producing the fancy trim and seats.

Maybe the Plaid gets a laser etched surface and solar tonneau to help differentiate it.

I can't wait to see what Tesla is going to do on their pricing scheme and options.

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[egandalf]

"What if they turned over their CT Plaid power train to someone like Mercedes and said, 'build us a fancy truck interior'."

But...why?

 

[Tinker71]

"What if they turned over their CT Plaid power train to someone like Mercedes and said, 'build us a fancy truck interior'."

But...why?

Tesla has been criticized in the past for having a plain interior, but mostly for product differentiation. I am imagining nicer materials, more comfortable seats, vented, especially if the base seats are not.

Ford has Eddie Bauer, King Ranch, Dodge has Big Horn. Maybe Mercedes is not the brand to associate with a Truck.

 

[egandalf]

Tesla has been criticized in the past for having a plain interior, but mostly for product differentiation. I am imagining nicer materials, more comfortable seats, vented, especially if the base seats are not.

Ford has Eddie Bauer, King Ranch, Dodge has Big Horn. Maybe Mercedes is not the brand to associate with a Truck.

I've not been inside a Mercedes in a while, but I've never felt more comfortable seats than are in our Model Y. The materials are excellent as well - you'd never tell the seats aren't real (and very soft) leather... until it's time to clean them, which is far easier than real leather.

The one knock I'll agree with is vented seats. They're heated, but not vented. Not sure how much of an issue that will be for us going into summer, since you can pre-warm/cool the cabin from your phone.

A plain interior is more than a design choice, though I think that's part of it. It's also a cost savings and a means to improve the UX over time (can't software-update physical buttons to mean different things or rearrange them).

I'm at the point now where too many physical buttons is a major deterrent now that I'm used to so much being automatic, voice controlled, or just a touch away. Every time I've seen new Mercedes interior it's been a turn-off.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, though. I don't knock anyone for wanting a more "classic" interior, but I don't think that's the future either. The industry as a whole is moving away from physical buttons.

 

[CyberGus]

Tesla previously partnered with Toyota, but it went nowhere.

There are few examples (none I can think of) where a company thrived by selling parts to a competitor.

 

[Crissa]

There's lots of examples, but companies rarely tout it as an advantage. Ford and Mazda shared the presses that made the unibody of my Mazda 3, for instance.

-Crissa

 

[egandalf]

There's lots of examples, but companies rarely tout it as an advantage. Ford and Mazda shared the presses that made the unibody of my Mazda 3, for instance.

-Crissa

My Geo Prism in the 90's was a collab between Chevy and Toyota. Chevy, I think, made much of the body while it had a Toyota engine.

When I finally let it go the engine was still phenomenal. The body, tho...

 

[rr6013]

While Mercedes at first impression got interior game, its not interior design. Interior starts ground up from the chassis, to suspension and finally the interior finishes. What occupants experience inside is engineered outside. In so many ways Mercedes makes a car work especially for the comfort, noise, ride and quietude inside the passenger compartment.

I see a Tesla/Mercedes combo as really BYO(Build your own) demand than the branded interior as presented. That’s an interesting idea on many levels. An idea I’ve seen reflected in custom campers, mid gate designs and infinite wheel changes seen on this site.

Would you take milk crate delivery of a shell of a CT driving away sitting on the milk crate?

 

[Tinker71]

Tesla previously partnered with Toyota, but it went nowhere.

There are few examples (none I can think of) where a company thrived by selling parts to a competitor.

First I really an not advocating this. I personally won't buy a Plaid unless I come into stupid money. As a stockholder I want Tesla to maximize profit on the Plaid. It will help subsidize all other models.

The problem is the Plaid is too close to the proposed CT3 in terms of performance and needs to be differentiated somehow.

For people who think their CT3 reservation is going to get replaced with a Quad 4ws for $5K more I think you are delusional...... unless there is a Plaid step up on top of the current top configuration.

We need the next level Quad 4WS Plaid and it needs a step above. It will help all of us.

 

[CyberGus]

There's lots of examples, but companies rarely tout it as an advantage. Ford and Mazda shared the presses that made the unibody of my Mazda 3, for instance.

-Crissa

True, but Ford at one time owned up to 33% of Mazda.

 

[CostcoSamples]

Tesla's lack of fancy isn't a lack of know-how.

 

[Crissa]

True, but Ford at one time owned up to 33% of Mazda.

Easier to sell shares than hand over cash. Ford never held a controlling interest. While the two ended their partnership in 2008, they were still sharing parts in 2012, when my car was built. I think Ford finally sold their last bit in 2015.

-Crissa

 

[Tinker71]

While Mercedes at first impression got interior game, its not interior design. Interior starts ground up from the chassis, to suspension and finally the interior finishes. What occupants experience inside is engineered outside. In so many ways Mercedes makes a car work especially for the comfort, noise, ride and quietude inside the passenger compartment.

I see a Tesla/Mercedes combo as really BYO(Build your own) demand than the branded interior as presented. That’s an interesting idea on many levels. An idea I’ve seen reflected in custom campers, mid gate designs and infinite wheel changes seen on this site.

Would you take milk crate delivery of a shell of a CT driving away sitting on the milk crate?

I only used Mercedes as an example. I am not exactly sure how it would work in the manufacturing line. And you are right, so much of the interior quality of a car is more than the applique.

I am just advocating for a really high end Plaid, which would include a tricked out interior.

 

[John K]

“Fancy” and options increase with more competition.

 

[PK3]

I wouldn't even consider it an option, Telsa's interiors are designed the way they are for a reason. Musk wouldn't even ship the Model S with a round wheel, if they are that particular I highly doubt they would let any other company design an interior that is so like anti-tesla. Tesla is a production company 1st and foremost so outsourcing the whole interior would be like Batman picking Joker as a sidekick.

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