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At a recent event for investors, Tesla presented an idea that may change the way cars are made around the world.
在最近一场面向投资者的活动中，特斯拉提出了一个可能会改变全世界汽车制造方式的理念。
The manufacturing 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, analysts say the process might change the way all automakers build cars.
分析人士表示，如果“开箱工艺”能成功降低电动汽车的成本，那么它可能会改变所有汽车制造商生产汽车的方式。
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，大多数汽车制造商现在使用的系统是由日本丰田公司首先设计的。
Toyota's process is the Toyota Production System.
丰田的工艺是丰田生产系统。
The carmaker first builds the body of the car and then moves it along an assembly line.
汽车制造商首先制造车身，然后沿着装配线移动。
Workers and robots put parts of the car, such as the engine and seats, into the "box" of the car as it moves.
工人和机器人在车身移动时将发动机和座椅等汽车部件放入汽车的“箱子”中。
After the outside metal panels are added, the car is painted.
在添加了外面的金属板之后给汽车喷漆。
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.
特斯拉认为，通过分开制造大型零件，并在最后一刻将它们组装在一起，可以降低成本。
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.
在“开箱”系统中，汽车的外部金属、车门和前端等部件被分开喷漆，然后在最后组装在一起。
Some parts of the car will be first connected to a large battery pack and then added to the overall structure.
汽车的一些部件将首先连接到一个大电池组，然后添加到整体结构中。
Tesla said in a statement that it wants to "build more vehicles at a lower cost."
特斯拉在一份声明中表示，它希望“以更低的成本生产更多的汽车”。
The aim is to cut the final cost of an electric car from over $40,000 to under $30,000.
其目标是将电动汽车的最终成本从4万多美元降至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.
该组装系统至少要到2024年底才会投入使用，届时墨西哥蒙特雷将会有一个制造中心开业。
Tesla is building the center for a cost of $5 billion.
特斯拉正在耗资50亿美元建设该中心。
Martin French is a director at Berylls, an automotive research company.
马丁·弗伦奇是汽车研究公司Berylls的董事。
He studies the industry's move to electric vehicles.
他研究了该行业向电动汽车的转变。
French said Tesla's idea is a direct challenge to Toyota.
弗伦奇表示，特斯拉的理念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 handbook 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，丰田生产系统手册被抛向空中，然后被机枪击落。”
Jan-Philipp Buchler is a researcher at the Free University of Dortmund in Germany.
Jan-Philipp Buchler是德国多特蒙德自由大学的一名研究员。
Buchler said the Tesla process will increase production speed and reduce complexity.
Buchler说，特斯拉工艺将会提高生产速度，降低复杂性。
He called the idea "revolutionary."
他称这个理念是“革命性的”。
However, critics note that some Tesla ideas have failed to work in real life.
然而，批评人士指出，特斯拉的一些想法在现实生活中未能奏效。
They point to problems with the company's self-driving systems and the Cybertruck, which has been delayed for some time.
他们指出，该公司的自动驾驶系统和Cybertruck存在问题，Cybertruck的投产时间往后推迟了。
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，特斯拉的计划没有像丰田系统那样考虑到生产过程的所有环节。
James Womack of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote a book about Toyota's production methods.
麻省理工学院的詹姆斯·沃马克写了一本关于丰田生产方式的书。
He said the main difference is that Toyota's plan was a system that helped automakers run their entire business.
他说，主要的区别在于，丰田的计划是一个帮助汽车制造商运营整个业务的系统。
While Tesla's idea is only "an assembly process."
而特斯拉的想法只是“一个组装过程”。
Hide Oba is a Japanese manufacturing expert who once worked for Toyota.
Hide Oba是一位曾在丰田工作的日本制造专家。
Oba warned that Tesla's plan will only work if the "unboxed vehicle modules are completely synchronized, and finished blocks arrive for a final put-together just-in-time."
Oba警告称，特斯拉的计划只有在“开箱的汽车模块完全同步，成品模块及时到达进行最终组装”的情况下才能奏效。
He also wondered if Tesla will be able to use the unboxed system for different vehicle models in the same production center.
他还想知道，特斯拉是否能够在同一生产中心的不同车型上使用开箱系统。
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.
他说，他认为这“几乎是不可能的”，因为分开制造汽车的大部分部件可能不允许改变生产模式，比如当公司设计新车型时。
He said that limitation "could become a drag on the company's overall efficiency."
他说，这种限制“可能会拖累公司的整体效率”。
I'm Dan Friedell.
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译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
