So, first of all, welcome back to X Takeover. You may not be able to see the audience that we have here, but we have an absolutely packed house to hear you talk about design. So, a highly, highly anticipated keynote. So, thanks again for joining us, Franz. As a designer though, is there a point where you have to put the pencil down? Like when do you know when you're done designing a car?
That's always hard because I think, you know, we're always up against time and as a designer, designers are inherently fickle and, you know, always trying to get the best possible solution into a project and a lot of times we just run up against the clock. And I think, you know, the amazing part about what we've been doing at Tesla is that we've been, you know, constantly improving the product and the design even after we lift the brush and put it into production. And I think our updates, there's always new elements going into the vehicles as they're being produced. You know, we've created a user experience that constantly improves and makes the overall ownership experience great, the interaction with the car more and more fun. I think, you know, if you saw the Halloween update, super fun. You know, experience that you just, it's hard to get anywhere else in a car. So, I think those things, you know, we want to consistently continue to deliver. And, you know, bring a sense of humor and yeah, I think, yeah, I think that answers it.
Yeah. All right. All right. This one's going to be an interesting one. Between Cybertruck, the Cybercab, the new Model Y, the new Semi, light bars are becoming a recognizable Tesla signature, it appears. What makes that design element so compelling to you?
You know, one of the things that we constantly talk about is how do we make the cars feel a little bit more futuristic and maintain a character in a face that, you know, is recognizable even to the point where you don't need the T on the hood. You know, there's no badging on Cybertruck. You know, we've removed the T on some of our products, but it's still instantly recognizable. And I think also, you know, headlights feel like they can be very, you know, with the two eyes, they can just be of the moment. And we want to look at where the technology is going in the future and kind of disguise them, make them go away and have this mono-like laser beam element that points down the road for you. So, I think it's a theme that we've, you know, that we are exploring right now, but, you know, we'll continue to evolve into the future. And I think each one of those products that you mentioned, they all have their own character as well. We're not tied to making, you know, every Tesla has to have X, Y, and Z component to it. You know, we want each product to be great on its own, each to have its own character. And we'll obviously continue to do that into the future.
Yeah. And that kind of leads into the next question, right? I mean, Tesla's not the only car maker that makes light bars, right? So with more automakers maybe using light bars, how do you make Teslas feel more distinctive?
Exactly. So, you got to wait for it. When things become mainstream, that's usually when we go left.
All right. All right. Well, let's talk about the anomaly. Model 3 has kept a very different expression. Is that intentional?
Yeah, it is. And you know, one of the things that we thought about was Model Y came after Model 3. And it was really at the time about 75, 76% of the parts from a Model 3 were also in a Model Y. And you kind of got this, you know, big brother syndrome. And you know, there's very often comments of it's hard to tell which car is coming down the road. And so when we had the opportunity to think about refreshing both Model 3 and Model Y, we wanted to make sure that they ended up with their own character. And I think you see that. Now Model Y is distinctly different from Model 3 and that was very intentional.
Yeah, that's great. Thank you for that. I own a 3, S, Y. I'm trying to do the sexy line, but I'm stuck at S right now. Will the cyber design ethos carry into more Tesla vehicles? And how much of it, the sharp geometry that everyone knows and loves about the Cybertruck? How much of that is a, or let me rephrase the question. Is cyber design more of a deeper philosophy than about the materials and the angles?
Well, the Cybertruck was really specific about the material and the material usage and the benefits from using a product like stainless steel where we don't need to, you know, there's no paint line, there's no stamping line. And so the production process is pretty radically different than a traditional stamped and painted vehicle. And you know, it puts the toughness on the outside versus on the inside, etc. And so that's really specific to Cybertruck, but you do see the evolution of the clean bodyside surface and the crispness of the line character evolving into Cybercab. And then, you know, we were looking at this, you know, this a little bit of a Deco, future Deco idea as it evolved into Robovan and, you know, into potentially future products. So, there's an evolution of that. Cybertruck is specific to Cybertruck and I think it's really born out of the material and it would feel oddly fake to appropriate the design specifically from a Cybertruck to something else if we didn't continue to use stainless steel and we didn't continue to use no paint and some of the other benefits that we wanted to get like this exoskeleton concept out of the product.
Yeah. Yeah. Hence the question, right? Because Cybertruck obviously has a very distinctive look. It has the cyber name. Cybercab has a cyber name, but it looks very distinctly different than the Cybertruck. So, is it really more of like a design philosophy moving forward for Tesla?
Well, I think, you know, like I said, it's an evolution and the truck was specific around the purpose of the truck, the material use, and the conscious decision to make the manufacturing process easier and simpler. And Cybercab is still using advanced material solution but it didn't have the, it has a different requirement in terms of how you form the material which didn't mean you needed to have the sharp edges and the faceted solutions. So, you know, it's always a symbiosis of form and function and how they come together to make the end product. Yeah, but you see the cleanliness and character that evolves from Cybertruck into something like Cybercab.
Since you brought it up, I'm going to ask you the Robovan, Robovan, however you want to pronounce it. Is this something that you're actively working on right now?
Yeah, we're working on ideas and solutions for that. I think it's a big play into the autonomous space. So, that's an important product and we want to get it right and we want it, you know, to benefit people that, you know, I think are challenged with vehicle ownership or just transportation in general. And I think this is an opportunity to move people in a better way than just, you know, the public transport that we see today.
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if you heard, but the spattering of applause when they heard the Robovan. So, yeah.
We, you know, we want to show products that we believe in building. So, you know, that was an intentional move and we believe in, you know, building that product.
So, you went to Art Center to study automotive design. When you started your career designing cars, did you ever imagine you'd be designing things like burger presses and humanoid robots?
Yeah, absolutely not. The world was a little bit different back then and you know, even electric vehicles were not a thing. So I think it was already a big step to step into the EV space and I think, you know, always had a heart for the environment and making products that solve problems and help the environment and I think the EV space is really doing that and now with autonomy making transportation available and affordable for the disadvantaged and the folks that can't afford it I think is the next big play and it's super exciting to be at the forefront of that. And again, like, you know, solving problems. I think a designer relishes the opportunity to make the world better and solve problems not just create, you know, art for themselves that they think looks cool but doesn't really help anybody. So I think, you know, that's always been our goal is to make the world a better place, make it more beautiful, more fun. And I think with autonomy we, you know, we projected that we could clean up the city spaces as well, you know, without having to deal with big concrete parking spots at all. So I think it's, you know, it's really working towards making a better, brighter future and then layer in Optimus and you definitely get a future of abundance.
So we had Ashok Elluswamy on stage here before you came on and he talked about obviously the Cybercab. He also mentioned the Robovan. So question for you. How do you as the designer think about designing vehicles that have no steering wheels, obviously no pedals, but not designed really for human driving? How do you think about all those design elements?
Yeah, I mean it's a transition from where we've all been up till, you know, today actually. And I think it's about thinking about how do you make the space comfortable and a space that you feel confident in, comfortable in and have an opportunity to use the space for how you want to use it whether it's, you know, being productive, for entertainment, for relaxation, all those things but you know, now eliminating the need for, you know, attention looking forward and you really alleviates a big constraint on how the vehicle can be packaged and laid out. And I think the Cybercab is the first step in that and just, you know, allowing a more relaxed seating environment, a space where you can chill a little bit. You can kind of forget about what's happening around you because you trust the system and we make the space feel trustworthy. And then like leaning into how do you keep people comfortable, keep them, you know, at the, give them the opportunity to use the space effectively on the way that they want to use it. And you know, everybody's going to be a little different. And you know, the challenge of designing a kind of ubiquitous space for everybody is that, you know, we all approach it from a little bit different perspective. And so we try to kind of cut right down the middle and make it the best for everybody. And I hope everybody came to X Takeover in a Cybercab.
Yes, if you haven't, go. It's definitely worth the experience. Definitely go out. There's all over in Austin, so please try it. Yeah, I asked Ashok this question. I'm going to ask you the same question because you talk about the gift of time, right? What do you do with your time in the Cybercab? What do you do in there?
Well, I feel like I'm constantly nitpicking and looking at how do we make the space better, make the user experience better? How do we bring more productivity into the UI? How do we make the seats more comfortable? How do we make the space easier to use, the interaction experience? What is the experience like when you walk up to it, when you get into it, when you leave it? Is the temperature correct? Is the seat in the right position? All those, that's where my headspace is. There's hopefully a moment in time where we've solved all that and I feel really good about it. And then I think, I don't know, sleep, entertainment, another Zoom call.
So, you know, you're a designer, you're probably, you know, you have an eye for detail, obviously. I would love your honest take on Ferrari's design with their first EV.
I mean, I appreciate every manufacturer getting into the space, including Ferrari. I tend to not comment on other people's design or design direction. And so I'll take the fifth on that. But I do think it's great that even brands that are notoriously about, you know, racing and speed and noise and that are actively looking at a more environmentally friendly solution for transportation. And I think, you know, that's where our world needs to go. And so I applaud them for doing that. And you know, design is really challenging. It's a tough space because everybody wants to be a designer. Everybody has an opinion and it's really challenging to appease all those disparate approaches to what the solution should have been. And you know, people have in their head what a brand should be. People think, well, Ferrari should look like this or Tesla should look like that. And I think the challenging part is to not always acquiesce to what people think should be but to do what the right solution is. I think Cybertruck is a good example of that. You know, you can't imagine how many people thought what Cybertruck they thought it was going to look like versus what it ended up being. And so I think, you know, that it's really important to look to the future and try to deliver that idea to the future. And that's what we're doing today with our future products as well. We want them to, you know, be not necessarily crowd-sourced, so to speak, with what people think it should be, but to do the right thing. And, you know, I applaud Ferrari for trying.
So you obviously look at your own designs with a critical eye for constant improvement and optimization. But when you look at another company's work, can you enjoy it as a fan or do you immediately start redesigning it in your head?
Yeah, to me the easy space to go to is to be the critic all the time. I try to approach other folks' products similar to like a song that you hear maybe and you just appreciate what the artist was able to do in that moment. And I imagine like as a musician, if you're listening to other people's music, it would very easily go, well, I would have done it this way or I would have done it that way and the song would be totally different and maybe have missed the mark. So I don't know. I appreciate where other designers are going with the products, you know, and I don't, I have a high bar and there's not many products that I really appreciate out in the space, but I do appreciate the efforts and I also learn from them and I think it's a good, there's plenty of good examples of what not to do out in the automotive world today. And we pay attention to that and we make sure we don't fall into that same trap.
Yeah, well said. Well said. Here's a fun question for you. What's it like spending time with Jay Leno when the cameras are off?
Jay is the same cameras off as he is cameras on. He's a great guy. He's an amazing aficionado. He's really genuine. He speaks his heart and, you know, he's a comedian, so he's always going to make you laugh. And, you know, he's just been super gracious to Tesla having us on his show quite a bit. And I think, you know, getting, it's sometimes easy to get, you know, caught in your kind of walled garden and I think he helps us expand our universe and he's always, Jay always wants to try to like talk about the things that maybe not everybody else is talking about. And so he tries to dig in a little bit and get the tidbits and nuggets about a product that, you know, people could learn from and so when they watch his show they could learn from it and then, you know, tell their friends. But Jay's genuine. He's a classy guy and, you know, I just appreciate his friendship and the way that he's been a super fan of Tesla. He drives a Model S almost every day. That's his daily driver and, yeah, he loves that car and it's, you know, even though he's got, I don't know, 100 cars or something, it's still the fastest car in the lineup that he's got and the one that he picks to drive daily.
What's your favorite story from hanging out with Jay? Has he ever said something about one of the designs that really stuck with you?
You know, the thing that's interesting about Jay is he's got like a passion for steam engines. And so if you go to his shop, you see where he's curated and pulled together a bunch of these really early steam plants, power plants, but he also is always an advocate for electric vehicles. And he's got several really early electric vehicles in his collection. And he's always excited to show myself and Lars like how he's brought this 1908 electric car back to life and the cool nuances that they have back then. And I think it's always a fun little learning experience about history when you go to his shop.
Yeah, it's an amazing garage he has there. And you've been on his show for what, four times? Five times?
It was like 40. Feel like I'm overdoing it maybe. I don't know.
All right, we need something. We need an update on something very important. And this requires some context for the audience here at X Takeover. So, I guess it was a few months ago, you came down to LA and we did a shoot, a physical shoot with guns on some Cybertrucks. And you actually got into the Cybertruck when we were doing some shooting and a ricochet hit your hand, right? And it got a little ouchy.
It was a shell. It was the shell. And the video's out there on YouTube for those who haven't seen it yet. Just out of curiosity, what was the story you told your family when you were back home for dinner? Like what you did that day?
We shot out some windows or tried to of the Cybertruck and, you know, as bulletproof as the body side is, the team that was bringing the glass made the glass the same. I think they even shot a 50 caliber bullet at the side glass and it didn't penetrate it. So it's impressive stuff that that team is working on and, you know, over the day it built up the confidence where, you know, we were able to sit inside the car even as the guys were shooting out the windows. So it was exhilarating for sure but absolutely safe and I would do it again.
Yeah. Yeah. And at the time I said you are a design icon and so therefore you deserve a Pop! doll and so I gave you a Pop! doll that resembled you. So the question is, where is that Pop! doll and what did your family think of it?
My family just laughed and thought like, your head's getting a little too big. But I have it here at the house and it's, you know, it's funny. It's a good reminder to be humble and, you know, to just try to keep my head down and do a good job and, you know, deliver the future. And as much as I appreciate that, it's, you know, for me that's not why I do what I do. I love, you know, working with Elon. I love like thinking about where the future can be and, you know, Elon's got us right on the cutting edge of so many technologies and I think there's no better place as a creative individual to be than in that space really painting a picture for what a great, you know, abundant future could be and then actually delivering it. And I think that's the difference of a lot of other, you know, brands or people trying to think about the future is, you know, they've got great solutions for it but, you know, it's really hard to deliver it. But Elon's adamant about taking the things that we create and delivering that because we believe in this idea of a future of abundance that's beautiful and entertaining and fun and makes our lives better and there's no better place to do that than at Tesla.
