Model S’s Electronics Reflect Tesla’s Unconventional Approach,
IHS Teardown Reveals
Everyone knows that Tesla Motors Inc. doesn’t do things the same
way as other automakers.
However, the company’s unique approach to automaking runs far
deeper than the Model S’s electric drivetrain, battery packs and
futuristic body. In fact, the company’s unconventional approach
extends all the way down to the electronics behind the car’s
infotainment and instrumentation systems, according to the Teardown
Analysis Service at IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS).
A physical dissection of the Model S reveals that in terms of
design, components and manufacturing, these user-oriented
subsystems have more in common with a tablet or smartphone than
they do with a conventional automobile.
“The cost structure of the electronics, the use of large
displays in the cabin, the touch-screen-based controls, the mobile
microchips—everything in this design makes the Tesla experience
more like a media tablet or high-end smartphone than a traditional
automobile,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director for materials
and cost benchmarking at IHS. “It’s like looking at the components
from the latest mobile device from an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy
product. When it comes to the user-facing segment of the Model S’s
electronics, the company has radically departed from
business-as-usual in the automotive market.”
The Tesla teardown
IHS is in the process of conducting a complete teardown of a
Model S, dissecting and analyzing each subsystem, from the
air-conditioning controls, to the safety systems, to the
powertrain. The initial analysis focuses on the car’s two most
electronics-intensive segments: the virtual instrument cluster and
the premium media control unit—aka the head unit—which is the main
center stack and touch-screen panel.
The analysis has generated a list of outstanding features and
superlative attributes, including:
- A huge 17-inch display and touch
screen, which is much larger than the average automotive
infotainment interface
- The use of an NVIDIA Corp. Tegra 3,
1.4-gigahertz quad-core processor, providing computing power in the
same league with recent smartphone and tablet designs.
- The most complex automotive head unit
design ever seen by the IHS Teardown Analysis Service, with more
than 5,000 discrete components—1,000 more than the highest-end
infotainment unit previously analyzed.
- A bill of materials (BOM) for the
virtual instrument cluster and the premium media control unit that
is roughly twice the cost of the highest-end infotainment unit
examined by IHS.
A display of audacity
The cost structure of the Model S’s premium media control unit
closely resembles that of a smartphone or tablet because the
display and touch screen are the two most expensive subsystems, the
same as for an iPhone or iPad. The high cost is due to the sheer
scale and size of the display and touchscreen.
“The mobile device-like approach to the Model S’s user interface
represents a very deliberate choice by Tesla,” Rassweiler said.
“The company really wanted to do things differently and employed
virtual controls—rather than physical knobs and buttons—to take
over the user experience. This approach required a major investment
in big displays and touch panels, similar to the approach Apple
took when designing the iPhone and iPad.”
The Model S display is some 10 inches larger than the typical
screen sizes seen in many automotive head units. The resolution of
the display is 1,920 by 1,200, again exceeding the norm for
cars.
Significantly, the touch screen is made by TPK Holdings, which
also was the first touch-screen supplier to Apple for the initial
models of the iPhone.
Designed by Tesla
In another sign of Tesla’s unconventional approach, the company
has conducted its own design and engineering activity for the
electronics: multiple printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the Model
S’s head unit and instrument cluster bear the Tesla moniker.
Automakers typically delegate the electronic design of items
such as head units to major automotive suppliers, such as Alpine,
Harman, Panasonic and others. By conducting its own design in this
area, Tesla not only can deliver a highly differentiated solution,
but also has much more control over the costs and sourcing of
parts.
Tesla likely turns over its designs to an electronics
manufacturing services (EMS) provider, which then conducts the
assembly of the subsystems. IHS understands that in some cases,
Tesla is employing EMS providers to build these electronic
assemblies.
With this model, Tesla once again is behaving more like a
smartphone or tablet seller than a normal carmaker. Apple, for
example, keeps tight control over its iPad and iPhone designs,
while outsourcing the assembly to EMS companies such as
Foxconn.
An example of how Tesla performs its own custom engineering can
be found in the Model S’s touch-screen controller. The large size
of the touch screen requires additional electronics, when compared
with smaller touchscreens. The IHS teardown indicates that Tesla
apparently has developed its own touch-controller PCB to manage
this task. With smaller smartphone and tablet touchscreens, in many
cases the touch control subsystem will be provided as part of a
turnkey solution from the touchscreen vendor.
Module multiplicity
The Premium Media Control Unit also employs an unusual modular
approach that leverages solutions from semiconductor makers and
other suppliers.
These modules include the Visual Computing Module, featuring the
company’s powerful Tegra 3 processor; a Sierra Wireless HSPA
wireless module, featuring a Qualcomm solution; an audio amplifier
module from S1NN; a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module from Parrot.
Virtual reality
Virtual instrument clusters replace the traditional array of
dials with a liquid-crystal display (LCD), giving automotive
designers more options.
While still uncommon, the Model S is not the first car torn down
by IHS that features a virtual instrument cluster. Just before the
Model S, the IHS Teardown Analysis Service conducted a teardown of
a Cadillac instrument cluster.
Tesla’s virtual instrument cluster is centered on a 12.3-inch
diagonal 1280 by 480-resolution LCD from Japan Display Inc., one of
Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus suppliers. This is the center/core of
the design and—just as in the head unit—it is the single largest
cost driver. The Cadillac system has the same display size and
resolution display, but from another vendor.
Computing muscle car
The virtual instrument cluster features the NVIDIA Visual
Computing Module, an unexpected and impressive show of computing
power that features a Tegra 2 processor. Considering there is also
an NVIDIA Tegra 3 in the Premium Media Control Unit, this is a
notable array of computing horsepower in a single automobile.
While some other automakers are using the Tegra 2 in their head
units, Tesla is bringing the prodigious chip to bear on the
instrument cluster, a less demanding application.
NVIDIA inside
NVIDIA controls one of the largest shares of the value of
electronic components throughout the Model S. The two Tegra
processors within turnkey embedded modules command a sizable price
tag. The NVIDIA visual computing module with Tegra 3 processor on
board, in particular—the first time IHS has detected this part in a
car—represents a high-value portion of the design.
Attached to this press release is a table listing major
component suppliers throughout the entire Tesla S.
Comprehensive teardown
Beyond the virtual instrument cluster and the premium media
control unit, IHS is conducting a teardown of all major subsystems
within the Tesla Model S, including the following:
- Heating, ventilation and
air-conditioning controller
- Thermal controller
- Park brake controller
- Power lift gate module
- Body control unit
- Sunroof control unit
- Lift gate taillight
- Passive safety restraints
controller
- Charger
- High-voltage junction box
- Electric vehicle inlet assembly and
trim
- Battery packs
- Battery management PCB
- Motor drive/inverter
About IHS
(www.ihs.com)
IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of information, insight
and analytics in critical areas that shape today’s business
landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries
around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert
independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make
high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and
confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a
publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005.
Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to
sustainable, profitable growth and employs more than 8,000 people
in 31 countries around the world.
Editor’s Note: Photos to accompany this news release are
available for download at the following link:
http://press.ihs.com/tesla-teardown.
IHS is a registered trademark of IHS Inc. All other company and
product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. © 2014
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Tesla S - Top / Major Electronic Component Suppliers
Includes interior electronic modules: Media Control, Instrument
cluster, and multiple body control modules DOES NOT INCLUDE
MOST POWERTRAIN ELECTRONICS (Battery Charger, Battery Packs,
Inverter, Etc.,) INNOLUX CORP (Chi Mei)
Display - Premium Media Control NVIDIA CORPORATION
Visual Computing Modules - Media Control and Instrument Cluster
JAPAN DISPLAY INC Display - Instrument Cluster TPK Holdings
Touchscreen - Premium Media Control S1NN GMBH Audio
Amplifier PCBA and separate amp module for sound system FREESCALE
SEMICONDUCTOR INC MCUs - In Assorted modules TEXAS
INSTRUMENTS INC Assorted Analog, Logic, and Specialized IC
Content in multiple modules SIERRA WIRELESS / QUALCOMM
Wireless module / chipset ST MICROELECTRONICS Audio
Amplifiers and assorted integrated circuits in multiple modules
ALTERA CORP FPGA - in Premium Media Control Unit PARROT
Combo Module (BT and WLAN) SK HYNIX INC DRAM and NAND
Flash in NVidia Visual Computing Modules LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORP
Power management Ices in multiple modules CYPRESS
SEMICONDUCTOR CORP Touch Controller ICs for large format
capacitive touchscreen INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG Assorted IC
Content ANALOG DEVICES INC Assorted IC Content MICROCHIP
TECHNOLOGY INC Assorted IC Content Source: IHS
Technology, October 2014
IHS Inc.Michelle Culver, +1 248 728
7496michelle.culver@ihs.comorPress Team, +1 303 305
8021press@ihs.com
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