Photo: Tesla Inc.
In case you were wondering about what (production) hell looks like, apparently, it comes with no seats or digital displays - and maybe some other key parts as well.
The Model 3 production start has been subjected to a lot of not very flattering news, starting with the reports saying some of the equipment had to be assembled by hand and ending with the dreadful number of units delivered so far - 220 instead of 1,500.
Elon Musk's company is under fire at the moment, and the CEO showed he's not dealing with the stress ideally by yelling "shame!" at a group of journalists that reported about the mass firings at the company.
Tesla's future depends on the success of the Model 3, and things aren't going to plan at the moment. To make matters worse, the GOP announced it plans to remove the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars, prompting a 7% depreciation of Tesla stock.
A new report from Financial Times now throws some more gasoline on the fire by suggesting numerous cars were shipped out without some major components being installed, with the seats and digital displays receiving a clear mention.
Of course, the EVs did not reach their owners in this state. The cars were flown out of the factory to Tesla dealers where the final assembly took place. The publication quotes a former regional executive claiming this technique "went back years."
It just so happens that one day before the Financial Times report Tesla released two videos off the Model 3's production line. One of them focused on a welding machine, but the other showed the robots installing the front seats, the dashboard (with the main display attached), and the glass roof.
Far from us to accuse Elon Musk of having premonition powers or Financial Times of lying, but whatever happened so far with seats and displays, it looks to have been sorted now. Besides, Tesla released a statement that sheds some light on practice:
“Unlike other car companies, which do not change their cars for at least a year at a time, Tesla is constantly improving its cars with over-the-air updates and often design and hardware improvements.”
“As but one example, that means occasionally we will even send, say, new certified parts to meet a car at the delivery center if those items have been upgraded after the car has shipped,” the spokesperson said. “This process may be unfamiliar to some, but has worked very well for us, as our customers know that if we can add value or make something better, we will do everything we can to do it right away.”
Elon Musk's company is under fire at the moment, and the CEO showed he's not dealing with the stress ideally by yelling "shame!" at a group of journalists that reported about the mass firings at the company.
Tesla's future depends on the success of the Model 3, and things aren't going to plan at the moment. To make matters worse, the GOP announced it plans to remove the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars, prompting a 7% depreciation of Tesla stock.
A new report from Financial Times now throws some more gasoline on the fire by suggesting numerous cars were shipped out without some major components being installed, with the seats and digital displays receiving a clear mention.
Of course, the EVs did not reach their owners in this state. The cars were flown out of the factory to Tesla dealers where the final assembly took place. The publication quotes a former regional executive claiming this technique "went back years."
It just so happens that one day before the Financial Times report Tesla released two videos off the Model 3's production line. One of them focused on a welding machine, but the other showed the robots installing the front seats, the dashboard (with the main display attached), and the glass roof.
Far from us to accuse Elon Musk of having premonition powers or Financial Times of lying, but whatever happened so far with seats and displays, it looks to have been sorted now. Besides, Tesla released a statement that sheds some light on practice:
“Unlike other car companies, which do not change their cars for at least a year at a time, Tesla is constantly improving its cars with over-the-air updates and often design and hardware improvements.”
“As but one example, that means occasionally we will even send, say, new certified parts to meet a car at the delivery center if those items have been upgraded after the car has shipped,” the spokesperson said. “This process may be unfamiliar to some, but has worked very well for us, as our customers know that if we can add value or make something better, we will do everything we can to do it right away.”
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