VOA新闻杂志2023 特斯拉希望通过新的制造工艺降低成本

At a recent event for investors¹, Tesla presented an idea that may change the way cars are made around the world.

在最近的一次投资者活动上，特斯拉提出了一种可能改变世界各地造车方式的理念。

The manufacturing² idea is called the unboxed process.

这种制造理念被称为开箱工艺。

If it succeeds in reducing the cost of electric cars, analysts³ say the process might change the way all automakers build cars.

分析人士表示，如果该工艺成功降低了电动汽车的成本，它可能会改变所有汽车厂商的造车方式。

To understand Tesla's idea, it is important to know that most automakers now use a system first designed by the Japanese company, Toyota.

要理解特斯拉的理念，重要的是要知道，现在大多数汽车厂商都使用日本丰田公司最初设计的一种系统。

Toyota's process is the Toyota Production System. The carmaker first builds the body of the car and then moves it along an assembly⁴ line. Workers and robots put parts of the car, such as the engine and seats, into the "box" of the car as it moves. After the outside metal panels⁵ are added, the car is painted.

丰田的工艺就是丰田生产系统。这家汽车制造商首先制造汽车的车身，然后沿着装配线移动。工人和机器人在汽车移动时将发动机和座椅等汽车部件放入汽车的箱体中。在装上外部金属板之后，再对汽车进行喷漆。

But Tesla says it wants to change the way cars are made.

但特斯拉表示，它希望改变汽车的制造方式。

Tesla thinks it can reduce costs by making large pieces separately and putting them together at the last moment. In the "unboxed" system, parts of the car such as the outside metal, doors, and front end are painted separately and then joined together at the end. Some parts of the car will be first connected to a large battery pack and then added to the overall⁶ structure.

特斯拉认为，它可以通过单独制造大型部件，并在最后一刻将其装配在一起，以此降低成本。在“开箱”系统中，汽车的外部金属、车门和前端等部件被单独喷漆，然后最后再装配到一起。汽车的一些部件将首先装配到一个大型电池组上，然后装到整体结构中。

Tesla said in a statement that it wants to "build more vehicles at a lower cost." The aim is to cut the final cost of an electric car from over $40,000 to under $30,000.

特斯拉在一份声明中表示，它希望“以更低的成本制造更多的汽车”。其目的是将电动汽车的最终成本从4万美元以上降至3万美元以下。

The assembly system will not be used until at least late 2024, when a manufacturing center opens in Monterrey, Mexico. Tesla is building the center for a cost of $5 billion.

这一装配系统至少要到2024年底才能使用，届时墨西哥蒙特雷市的制造中心将要开业。特斯拉正斥资50亿美元建造该中心。

Martin French is a director at Berylls, an automotive research company. He studies the industry's move to electric vehicles. French said Tesla's idea is a direct challenge to Toyota.

马丁·弗伦奇是汽车研究公司Berylls的董事。他研究了该行业向电动汽车的转变。弗伦奇表示，特斯拉的想法是对丰田的直接挑战。

He said, "I got the feeling when I watched the Tesla (presentation) that the Toyota Production System handbook⁷ has just been thrown up in the air and machine-gunned down."

他说：“当我观看特斯拉的演示时，我有一种感觉，丰田生产系统手册刚刚被抛到空中，被机枪击落。”

Jan-Philipp Buchler is a researcher at the Free University of Dortmund in Germany. Buchler said the Tesla process will increase production speed and reduce complexity⁸. He called the idea "revolutionary."

简-菲利普·巴克勒是德国多特蒙德自由大学的研究员。巴克勒表示，特斯拉的工艺将提高生产速度并降低复杂性。他称这是“革命性的”想法。

However, critics note that some Tesla ideas have failed to work in real life. They point to problems with the company's self-driving systems and the Cybertruck, which has been delayed for some time.

然而，批评者指出，特斯拉的一些想法在现实生活中未能奏效。他们指出，该公司的自动驾驶系统和电动皮卡存在问题，这些产品都跳票了一段时间。

In addition, production experts say the Tesla plan does not consider all parts of the process in the same way as the Toyota system.

此外，生产专家表示，特斯拉的方案并没有像丰田系统那样考虑工艺的所有部分。

James Womack of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote a book about Toyota's production methods. He said the main difference is that Toyota's plan was a system that helped automakers run their entire business. While Tesla's idea is only "an assembly process."

麻省理工学院的詹姆斯·沃马克写了一本关于丰田生产方法的书。他说，主要区别在于，丰田的方案是一个帮助汽车制造商运营整个业务的系统。而特斯拉的想法只是“一个装配过程”。

Hide Oba is a Japanese manufacturing expert who once worked for Toyota. Oba warned that Tesla's plan will only work if the "unboxed vehicle modules⁹ are completely synchronized¹⁰, and finished blocks arrive for a final put-together just-in-time."

Hide Oba是一位曾在丰田工作的日本制造业专家。奥巴警告说，特斯拉的方案只有在“开箱的车辆模块完全同步，并且完成的模块能及时送达进行最终组装”的情况下才会奏效。

He also wondered if Tesla will be able to use the unboxed system for different vehicle models in the same production center. He said he thinks it is "next to impossible" because making large parts of the car separately may not permit manufacturing changes, like when the company designs a new model.

他还想搞清楚特斯拉是否能够在同一生产中心采用开箱系统生产不同车型。他说，他认为这“几乎是不可能的”，因为单独制造汽车的大型部件可能不允许制造中心发生变化，比如当公司设计新车型时。

He said that limitation¹¹ "could become a drag on the company's overall efficiency¹²."

他表示，这种限制“可能会拖累公司的整体效率。”

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 manufacturing   

n.制造业，工业adj.制造业的，制造的v.（大规模）制造( manufacture的现在分词 )；捏造；加工；粗制滥造（文学作品）

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Manufacturing processes may be affected by the functionality of the product. 生产过程可能要受到产品设计目的的影响。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 assembly   

n.集会(不可数)；会议(可数)，装配(不可数)

参考例句：

• He took his seat in an unobserved corner of the assembly room.他在会议室一个不为人注意的犄角坐下来。
• It was very quiet in the assembly hall.会场里静悄悄的。

5 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

6 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

7 handbook   

n.手册，便览，指南

参考例句：

• Her mother bought a handbook of English grammar for her last Sunday.上星期天她母亲给她买了一本英语语法手册。
• None of them has got a handbook to tourists.他们谁也没搞到旅游指南。

8 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

9 modules   

n.模块( module的名词复数 )；单元；（宇宙飞船上各个独立的）舱；组件

参考例句：

• The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
• Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

11 limitation   

n.限制；局限

参考例句：

• I am willing to accept certain limitation on my freedom.我愿意接受对我自由的某些限制。
• We shall continue to work for the limitation of nuclear arms.我们将继续为限制核子武器而努力。

12 efficiency   

n.效率，效能，功效

参考例句：

• We were most impressed with your efficiency.你的效率给我们留下很深刻的印象。
• Our goal is to achieve the maximum of efficiency.我们的目标是取得最高的效率。