Innovation and Technology Management Individual Report
Innovation and Technology Management Individual Report
The research idea selected is the tesla Model 3 electric vehicle. This vehicle the most recent innovation in the transport industry since it offers environmental sustainability as a benefit to users. The company has developed the vehicle as an electric vehicle with zero carbon emissions. It is expected by Tesla Motors that the new and innovative vehicle will be ready for shipping to consumers by the end of 2017. According to the Tesla website, the vehicle is highly efficient in energy consumption since it allows a range of up to 215 miles per single full charge (Tesla Motors, 2016). Tesla motors have also not compromised on the cars speed since it is fitted with an advance engine that allows acceleration from zero to sixty mph in less than six seconds (Tesla Motors, 2016).
The model 3 is also a highly spacious car that allows sufficient seating for up to five adults. This implies that it is a suitable family car. Tesla has also fitted the vehicle with high-end safety technology such as the autopilot feature (Tesla Motors, 2016). The main aim of this is to increase the vehicle’s safety rating as well as reduce damage and protect its occupants in case of an accident. The vehicle also boasts of a sleek and elegant design that is attractive to customers. This will serve to encourage customers to purchase the vehicle when it is finally in the market. Furthermore, the company is offering the vehicle at an affordable price of $ 35,000 (Tesla Motors, 2016). This is lower as compared to the previous consumer price offerings for the initial vehicle models developed by the company that were retailing at over $ 100,000.
Blog 2: Technology
Tesla motors have installed the latest electric vehicle technology in model 3 vehicle. The technology included in the vehicle includes an innovative DC battery that stores charge for a long period. Fears over pollution and dwindling resources of fossil fuels have resulted in the acceleration in the development of renewable energy. The most common sources of renewable energy are sun and the wind. When harnessed properly, they have the potential to provide all the world’s energy needs. For example, research and development of photovoltaic cells used in solar panels has resulted in solar panels that are very efficient (Chiras, 2009). They are able to provide the power needed to power majority of a households needs. Solar panels can also be installed on the roof of the model 3 vehicle resulting in a solar powered vehicle that self-charges during the day. Tesla Motors has been on the forefront of developing renewable energy technology that is usable and serves consumers. The solution by the company is the development of powerful batteries that can store power during charging. The battery can then continue to provide the power when the vehicle is no longer charging.
Furthermore, the company has also pioneered the development of powerful electrical engine technology. The electrical motors the company uses provide the tesla 3 model with enough power to accelerate from 0-60 mph in six seconds (Tesla Motors, 2016). It has taken a visionary to challenge the status quo in vehicle engine technology. The development of the high capacity battery by Tesla has resulted in a change in thinking in the masses. These batteries were developed to power the fully electric vehicles manufactured by Tesla. Further developments have resulted in battery packs that are ideal to power vehicles over a longer driving range. As mentioned earlier, the company offers the highest driving range, which is 215 miles on a single charge (Tesla Motors, 2016).
The car also has additional technology such as the autopilot feature that allows the car to self-drive, apply emergency brakes in specific situations, as well as, provide better overall passenger safety. The feature also includes proximity sensors, and global positioning sensors, which are critical for vehicle navigation and safety. The autopilot feature is software specifically developed by Tesla Motors for their vehicles and comes standard will all models that the company has designed and developed.
Blog 3: Users
The main users of the product are drivers and passengers from across the globe. The company is mainly targeting environmentally conscious car owners who want to own a vehicle that is beneficial to the environment. The main reason for this is that the vehicle is an electric vehicle that does not rely on non-renewable energy sources such as petroleum. This implies that it runs an electric motor supported by a bank of batteries that drivers can charge at home or at designated charging locations. This is beneficial since electricity is renewable since it can be produced from wind and solar.
Tesla is also targeting technology survey users. The main reason for this is that the company has fitted the model 3 vehicle with the latest technology, which includes a well-developed electric motor, battery packs, and autopilot firmware.
Bog 4: Location
Tesla motors plant is located in Fremont California. It is expected that by the end of 2017 the company will start shipping the model 3 vehicle globally.
Blog 5: Main issues
The main issues affecting the electric car are range anxiety, reliability and cost. The main difference between the electric car and normal vehicle is the fuel. A normal vehicle has an internal combustion engine which burns fuel to provide the energy needed to propel the vehicle. An electric vehicle has to have its energy source on board, in this case, batteries which store energy. Normal vehicles can easily be filed in with fuel at service stations. It takes roughly five minutes to fill a gas tank which can give a vehicle a range of up to 600 miles. On the contrary, charging up an electric vehicle is a completely different affair. It takes up to 8 hours to fully charge an electric vehicle and this will only give a range of about 200 miles. This might be a problem for people who drive for long distances for fear of exhausting power in the middle of nowhere. The major underlying factor in reducing range anxiety is developing higher capacity batteries. This brings the second major issue facing electric vehicles; cost.
Batteries are very expensive and the research into high capacity batteries needed to power electric vehicles contributes a large percentage of the cost of the vehicle. This means that the cost of purchase of electric vehicles is very high even with government subsidies, which discourages uptake. The third major issue facing electric vehicles is reliability. Although the concept of the electric vehicle has been in existence for well over a century, the technology being applied to the Tesla mode 3 is fairly new. The vehicles use complex technology for the batteries, cooling systems and regenerative braking among others. Because the electric vehicle in its current iteration is fairly new, most of the technologies being used have not been tested meaning that the vehicles are prone to reliability problems. This is according to the general engineering rule that the more complex a system is, the more susceptible it is to failure.
Blog 6: Why it might fail
There are a number of reasons why the Tesla model 3 might fail. Key among these are the technologies involved and the cost. The Tesla model 3 is the cheapest model being produced by Tesla motors. However, it is still expected to cost $35,000 (Tesla, 2016). This is a price range that is well above most people. In order for the technology to succeed, it must be widely adopted by the public. However, at such a high price, there is a likelihood that it will remain a niche product available only to the rich. Key among the costs involved is the cost of batteries. Currently, the cost of batteries makes up the highest percentage of the cost of the vehicle. If battery development is not improved to a level where high capacity batteries are produced at lower cost, the overall cost will remain too high for mass appeal.
The electric vehicle requires backbone infrastructure to become practical. The car needs to be charged. When charging at a normal outlet, it might take up to eight hours to fully charge the vehicle. Superfast charging points can top up 80% of the battery capacity in about thirty minutes. This means that the owner of the vehicle has to have access to a garage at home where the charging can be done. This is not practical in many cities where owners might live in apartments and cars are parked on streets. In order to reduce range anxiety, it is also necessary to have charging points along highways. The Tesla model 3 has the longest range of electric vehicles in production currently at just over 200 miles (Tesla Motors, 2016). However, this is just a fraction of the range of a normal vehicle on a full petrol tank. Despite this, there are filling stations in almost every major center along a highway. Charging points for electric vehicles are rare and the cost of developing such points is prohibitive. If a solution is not found, range anxiety will continue to be an issue for the vehicles.
Blog 7: Research information found so far
The electric car is considered an environmentally friendly car when compared to fossil fuel burning vehicles. However, there is the question of whether there are overall benefits to the environment. This is because the energy used by the electric vehicle has to be produced somewhere and in most cases; fossil fuel burning power plants generate the electricity. The electric vehicle therefore transfers the production of dirty energy from the vehicle itself to the power plant. Further research needs to be carried out to determine whether there are any overall benefits. If the power is generated from green sources such as solar and wind energy, the benefits to the environment are obvious. However research has found that even in cases where the electricity is generated in fossil fuel power plants, there are benefits such as reducing pollution in cities and concentrating the emissions in the power plant where they can be managed more easily
Reference List
Chiras, D. D., 2009. Power from the sun: Achieving energy independence. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Pubishers.
Tesla Motors, 2016, Model 3. [Online] Available at: <https://www.teslamotors.com/model3> [Accessed 2 April 2016].
