https://electrek.co/2019/02/09/tesla-model-3-cost-surprise-porsche-audi-reverse-engineering/:
Tesla Model 3 is now entering the European market and it is making some automakers nervous. According to a new report, Porsche and Audi reverse-engineered Tesla’s new electric car and they were quite surprised by its cost.
[...] During the early production ramp up, it was difficult to get your hands on a Model 3, but some automakers paid a pretty penny to be amongst the first to be able to check out the new electric car.
About a year ago, two Model 3 vehicles were spotted on their way to Germany – presumably to be reverse-engineered.
Later, a report came out about a German automaker being impressed by Model 3 after reverse-engineering it.
Now a new report from Germany’s Manager Magazin [in German and paywalled] includes a deep dive into the state of Audi with comments from executives and insider sources.
It claims that Porsche and Audi, who are working together on a next-generation electric platform, had to change their approach because the cost was too high compared to what Tesla is achieving.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 18 2019, @02:23AM
I have owned Hondas most of my life.
The last Honda I owned that was simple to service was a Civic built in 1995.
I have owned an Odyssey and a Pilot since then (family man now), and I can assure you that the ease and cheapness of repairs has disappeared in proportion to the adoption of new technology, just as the grandparent commenter said. Even replacing the goddamn windshield is no longer a simple "monkey" job now that there is a camera mounted in the mirror region of the windshield (windscreen to our UK friends). As a matter of fact, you can no longer use a simple effing parking tag hanging off the mirror because it messes with the camera. WTF?? There is no simple, cheap repair anymore.