Architecture Innovation: Exploring the Formation Mechanism of Tesla's Competitive Advantage

Abstract

Abstract: Energy depletion and environmental problems are two major constraints that seriously hindering the future development of automobile industry. In order to realize the sustainable development of automobile industry, development of new energy vehicles has gradually become a global consensus. As an international leading enterprise in the current new energy automobile industry, Tesla has an absolute competitive advantage in the global market. Based on product architecture theory, this article analyzes the formation mechanism of Tesla's competitive advantage. Research finds that architectural innovation is the main source of Tesla's competitive advantage: 1) Tesla successfully breaks market barriers and enters the new energy vehicle market by creatively choosing open modular product architecture. 2) Transformation from open module architecture to closed module architecture is an important measure for Tesla to implement product differentiation strategy and improve its product market influence. 3) Technological innovation and architectural innovation are not independent from each other. The promotion of architectural innovation by Tesla through core technologies is the source of competitive advantage behind Tesla products. 4) Long-term cooperation between Tesla and Panasonic is not only the main driving force for Tesla's architecture innovation, but also a factor that cannot be ignored to continuously improve the ability of "inter-enterprise problem solving" through the close cooperation of both sides, thus rapidly improving Tesla's international competitiveness.

摘要： 能源和环境问题是制约汽车产业发展的两大因素。为了实现汽车工业的可持续发展，发展新能源汽车逐渐成为全球共识。特斯拉作为目前新能源汽车产业的国际领先企业，其产品在全球市场具有绝对的竞争优势。本文基于产品架构理论，分析了特斯拉竞争优势的形成机理。通过案例研究发现，架构创新是特斯拉竞争优势的主要来源：特斯拉通过创造性地选择开放模块型产品架构，成功突破市场壁垒进入新能源汽车市场；从开放模块型架构向封闭模块型的架构转变，是特斯拉实施产品差异化战略、提高其产品市场影响力的重要举措；技术创新与架构创新之间不是相互独立的，特斯拉通过核心技术促进架构创新是特斯拉产品背后竞争优势的源泉；特斯拉和松下的长期合作不仅是特斯拉架构创新的主要推手，同时也是通过双方的紧密协作不断提升“企业间问题解决”能力，进而快速提升特斯拉国际竞争力的一个不容忽视的因素。

乌力吉图黄莞王英立. 架构创新：探索特斯拉的竞争优势形成机理[J]. 科学学研究, 2021, 39(11): 2101-2112.

References

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