autoevolution
 

Tesla Model 3 Production Ahead of (New) Schedule with 5K Units per Week

If everything goes well, this shaky start in life the Model 3 had will be nothing more than the kind of stories that make the vehicle all the more interesting in a few years time.
Tesla Model 3 production line 1 photo
Photo: Vimeo screenshot
For the past few months, however, the production difficulties of the company have been all over the news, with some reports suggesting extreme measures such as resorting to manual labor. With 260 units produced and 220 delivered by the end of the third quarter, Tesla found itself 1,240 short of its target and continuing to struggle.

One collateral victim of the whole situation was the launch of the Semi electric truck, which got pushed back twice from the end of September to November 16. Musk said it was needed so the company could focus all its resources on sorting out the "bottlenecks" that were holding back the Model 3 production.

Another promise the company wasn't able to keep - though it wasn't necessarily blamed on the production problems; in fact, it wasn't blamed on anything, just swept under the rug completely instead - was the coast-to-coast completely autonomous ride in a Tesla that Musk promised by the end of the year. With two weeks left in 2017, we doubt that's still on.

However, the sun seems to be rising again on Tesla's street as rumors of the Model 3 production reaching the magical number of 5,000 units per week (20,000 per month) before Christmas are beginning to show up. They're not so much rumors as reports from the Taiwanese media claiming that local suppliers are sending Tesla the number of parts corresponding to a 5,000 units a week assembly rate.

According to the website (via Electrek), one supplier (responsible for gears and axles) even had to work overtime to match the bump in demand, with some parts being sent by plane instead of the usual maritime routes.

Considering Tesla has come this far in such a short interval while also having to deal with major manufacturing issues makes the 10,000 units a week by March next year deadline seem totally feasible. 40k Model 3s per month would put Tesla at its projected 500,000 cars annual production, assuming it can keep up the pace constantly after that.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories