Episode 389: Special Guest Franz von Holzhausen Talks Cybertruck, Roadster, and More!
Ride the Lightning: Tesla Motors Unofficial Podcast
Ryan McCaffrey
4.8 • 988 Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2023
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen joins me for his second interview on this show! Our almost hour-long discussion covers the Cybertruck, next-gen Roadster, the new Model S, and much more! Plus: after the interview I analyze Tesla’s huge across-the-board price cuts that happened this week as well.
TIMECODES:
0:47 Podcast intro
3:02 Franz interview begins
3:29 Petersen Auto Museum's Tesla exhibit
6:51 Was the Cybertruck inspired by the DeLorean?
8:39 Removing scratches from the Cybertruck's stainless steel finish
10:54 Customizing the finish of a Cybertruck?
13:56 Cybertruck Easter egg
17:51 Did Franz expect the reactions to the Cybertruck's design?
20:38 No other car company would greenlight something like the Cybertruck
22:06 Will there be a Cybercar?
22:58 Is the Cybertruck design done?
24:15 The Cybertruck's doors
24:49 Yoke steering on the Cybertruck
25:23 Are there features on the Cybertruck we don't know about yet?
26:39 What Franz thinks of the other EV pickup trucks
28:08 Next-gen Roadster status update
29:59 Constantly working on the Model S
31:14 How long was the Model S refresh in the works?
33:09 The new steering wheel option on the Model S and Model X
34:08 The recent design change to the back of the Model S and Model X
35:55 Cybertruck don't need no stinking badges
36:19 Franz on the capacitive touch buttons on the yoke
37:22 New Model S's much lower drag coefficient
39:30 How many times has the Model S been completely redesigned under the skin?
40:24 Franz on Tesla seats
41:38 How full autonomy changes Franz's thought process
42:55 Vehicle paint colors
45:30 Will the stalks get deleted on the Model 3 and Model Y too?
46:26 Franz's thoughts on the Model Y likely becoming the world's best-selling passenger vehicle
48:25 Franz on Tesla vehicle safety
49:36 Franz's relationship with the Berlin and Shanghai Design Studios
50:40 Shortening the time between design and production
52:09 How has Franz's skillset grown in his time at Tesla?
53:29 If Franz could start the Model 3 over, what would he do?
54:40 Model 3 moving to the 4680 battery cells and structural battery pack?
55:32 What does Franz want his legacy to be?
56:49 What did Franz work on today?
58:15 Non-interview news: Tesla slashes vehicle prices across the board
1:12:37 Outro
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On this week's very special episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla Unofficial Podcast, |
| 0:05.0 | Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holeshausen joins me for his second interview on this show. |
| 0:11.0 | Our almost hour-long discussion covers the cyber truck, next-gen |
| 0:15.0 | roadster, the new model S and much more. Plus, after the interview, I'll talk |
| 0:20.2 | about Tesla's huge across-the-board price cuts that happen this week as well. |
| 0:25.0 | Stay tuned. The What's happening, |
| 0:46.0 | happening, friends, I'm Ryan McCaffrey here with you for episode |
| 0:50.0 | 389 of Ride the Lightning, the Weekly Tesla Unofficial Podcast |
| 0:54.8 | for January 15th, 2023. |
| 0:57.6 | And as you've already figured out by now, |
| 0:59.6 | this really is an extra special episode of this podcast because opportunities like this do not come around very often. |
| 1:07.0 | Franz von Holshousen, the chief designer at Tesla, will be coming up here in just a moment we have a 50 I think 54 minute |
| 1:15.8 | interview that we conducted this past Wednesday January 11th at the Tesla |
| 1:21.5 | Design Studio in Hawthorne, California. |
| 1:23.8 | I was delighted to take the quick trip down |
| 1:26.4 | from my home base here in the San Francisco Bay Area, |
| 1:29.6 | down to see Franz. |
| 1:31.2 | I had a wonderful time chatting with him. I want to thank Franz and |
| 1:34.0 | thank his team for making it happen for being super accommodating. They even |
| 1:39.0 | they let me come into the conference room and set up 30 minutes ahead of time |
| 1:42.4 | because I had all kinds of stuff you |
| 1:44.3 | know I had my laptop my mics all that stuff anyway I hope you enjoy this interview a lot |
... |
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