Numbers

Friday Math Fun with the Tesla Model 3.

Model 3 I’m not going to bash the Tesla Model 3. I like the idea of the electric car, and I like the innovation that Tesla is doing with their vehicles. I am going to do a little math though. Why? Because it’s Friday and everyone loves math on Friday’s.

So Telsa has 325,000 pre-orders for the Model 3. That is 325,000,000 dollars given them to hopeful buyers that are willing to wait for a new car, and wait they will and here is why. “Time.”

There is only so many hours in the day, and you can only assemble a car so fast. With a launch date set for “Late 2017” the first cars won’t start rolling off the assembly line for 19 months from now at the soonest. Now, let’s look at that 325,000 order number and divide it out over time.

Say Tesla sets a moderate time frame of 48 months to build all 325,000 Model 3’s.

325,000 divided by 48 months equals 6,770 a month. 6770 divided by 30 equals 225 a day. Which is about 9.5 cars an hour.

The Ford F150 is one of the most popular vehicles in America. In comparison Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant produces about 1,250 of these trucks every day it operates. or roughly 62.5 trucks assembled by 1000 people over a 20 hour shift. (I see Tesla hiring a boat load of assembly line workers. Don’t forget Tesla will have to train them all and that adds even more time to the problem)

Now let’s revise our numbers a bit. Let’s say half of the 325 thousand drop out of the race to get a Model 3. How many would Tesla still have to crank out and at what rate? So, 162,500 Model 3’s over 48 months.

162, 500 divided by 48 months equals 3,385 a month. 3,385 or about 112 cars a day, if Tesla works 30 days a month, 24 hours a day. so 4.75 cars an hour every month for 48 months non stop to reach total demand. And that doesn’t include production of the Model S and Model X. That folks is a tall order, and remember they do not have a dedicated plant to built the Model 3 in yet.

I’m not saying Tesla can’t do it, or won’t do it. I’m just thinking it’s going to be a while after late 2017 before some people see their Model 3 and quite a bit can change in the next 3 to 4 years. I wonder if we’ll have flying electric cars by 2020?

ING “Numbers” by Erin Hilleli

It’s a sunny Friday afternoon here in the midwest, and Spring is desperately trying to arrive. Because spring is dragging its feet, I started looking for sunny and warm animations on Vimeo. What did I find? This nice little animation by Erin Hilleli for ING. Working with illustrations from the Project Twins, Hilleli directed the piece which was produced by XYZ Studios for agency Drroga5. It’s not a piece about spring, summer or warm weather, but it does feature some killer animation, bright colors, and a warm feel.

ING – NUMBERS from Eran Hilleli on Vimeo.

Mac vs PC, Who really Cares? Well That Is Debatable.

Column Five Media created an infographic for Tech Hunch that shows the differences between Mac people and PC people. I know, like me this is one of those things you thought died a while ago, but apparently it hasn’t. Although I think you could simply swap Mac for iOS, and PC for Android, and this would feel like a fresh debate.

This is a follow up to a study Hunch did in November of 2009 where they explored the differences in personality, aesthetic tastes, and media preferences between Mac and PC users.The original 2009 study was based on findings from 76,000 respondents, vs this years 400,000. A lot has changed since the first study was done. Apple has launched the iPad and iPad 2, iPhone 4 for more than one single carrier, an updated Apple TV, and redesigned iPods.

The infographic is fun, but there is real world information here. If you would like to see all of the results beyond this fancy image, click here.

Oh and just for the record, and to pour some more fuel on the fire. PC means “Personal Computer” a “Mac” is a PC, so really this debate should be Mac vs Every Other OS in the World, or Mac vs Microsoft Windows. The “PC” term gets me as much as people that can’t pronounce nuclear, oncologist, supposedly, or karaoke correctly.