Tesla has installed a deconstructed Model Y at Shanghai University of Electric Power to help teach students the intricacies of EV design and manufacturing.
The new addition to the classroom means that engineering students can study a modern day engineering marvel in the flesh enabling them to learn about the design of various components as well as understand how it’s all put together.
We collaborated with Shanghai University of Electric Power Lingang campus and brought a Model Y 3D deconstruction teaching platform to the classroom for the first time🏫
This teaching platform helps students better explore the complex internal structure of Tesla vehicles🔍 pic.twitter.com/5sJ4UeKHYy
— Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) June 13, 2023
The body of the car hovers close to the ceiling with all doors and panels suspended individually. The seats and dash are positioned below the body above the battery pack.
The positioning is reflective of Tesla new manufacturing method whereby seats are attached to the structural battery pack before being raised up through the floor of the body during assembly, a technique that Tesla has pioneered.
Last year Munro and Associates took apart a Model Y with structural pack and made a video showing how it works.
The classroom deconstructed Model Y also includes a real life Tesla Super Charger which is connected to the vehicle’s charge port.
Wiring harnesses and cables dangle connected to the model enabling the students to trace and understand the complex electrical architecture.
From underneath the vehicle students can get a sense of how the EV is assembled.
Engineering courses often involve a lot of theory and not much practice so having a full size, real-life disassembled EV right in the middle of the classroom is a brilliant idea.
We need more engineers working on the mission to accelerate our world away from fossil fuels. Hopefully we see more of this approach in engineering classrooms around the world to help teach the engineers of the future how its done.
Daniel Bleakley is a clean technology researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and business. He has a strong interest in electric vehicles, renewable energy, manufacturing and public policy.