Photo: Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider
As of March 19, there are close to 11,000 reported cases of COVID-19 infection in the U.S., and 150 reported deaths. As authorities struggle to contain the virus with shelter-in-place orders and lockdowns, the final automaker to comply is Tesla.
Until that date, the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, had remained open, taking exception to the shelter-in-place order meant to avoid the spread of COVID-19, on the grounds that it was an essential business. As employees took to social media to vent their frustrations and concerns, and authorities paid several calls to the factory, the decision has been made to shut it down.
The decision goes into effect at the end of the work day on Monday, March 23, Tesla says in a statement. It doesn’t mention the estimated timeframe for going offline, but assures staff and customers that it’s doing everything to follow government recommendations.
“In the past few days, we have met with local, state and federal officials,” the statement notes. “We have followed and are continuing to follow all legal directions and safety guidelines with respect to the operations of our facilities, and have honored the Federal Government’s direction to continue operating. Despite taking all known health precautions, continued operations in certain locations has caused challenges for our employees, their families and our suppliers.”
Like is the case with every other carmaker, Tesla too will continue to run basic business operations, though it doesn’t say whether it would ask employees to work remotely. The New York factory is also closed down temporarily, but the other U.S. operations remain open until further notice. This includes the Nevada factory and the Supercharging network.
To those people still looking to buy a Tesla at this time, the statement offers this assurance: it’s working on “touchless deliveries,” to minimize the risk of infection with the new Coronavirus. This entails taking delivery of a new vehicle at a delivery parking lot, unlocking it via the Tesla App, signing the paper documents found inside the car and dropping them off at an on-site location before driving off.
The decision goes into effect at the end of the work day on Monday, March 23, Tesla says in a statement. It doesn’t mention the estimated timeframe for going offline, but assures staff and customers that it’s doing everything to follow government recommendations.
“In the past few days, we have met with local, state and federal officials,” the statement notes. “We have followed and are continuing to follow all legal directions and safety guidelines with respect to the operations of our facilities, and have honored the Federal Government’s direction to continue operating. Despite taking all known health precautions, continued operations in certain locations has caused challenges for our employees, their families and our suppliers.”
Like is the case with every other carmaker, Tesla too will continue to run basic business operations, though it doesn’t say whether it would ask employees to work remotely. The New York factory is also closed down temporarily, but the other U.S. operations remain open until further notice. This includes the Nevada factory and the Supercharging network.
To those people still looking to buy a Tesla at this time, the statement offers this assurance: it’s working on “touchless deliveries,” to minimize the risk of infection with the new Coronavirus. This entails taking delivery of a new vehicle at a delivery parking lot, unlocking it via the Tesla App, signing the paper documents found inside the car and dropping them off at an on-site location before driving off.
Google News