Report: Tesla to Begin Model 3 Pilot Production This Month
Tesla Inc. says it will idle its electric-car assembly plant in California for a week this month to prepare it for Model 3 pilot production. Sources tell Reuters the company aims to begin low-volume test assemblies on Feb. 20.
#hybrid
Tesla Inc. says it will idle its electric-car assembly plant in California for a week this month to prepare it for Model 3 pilot production. Supplier sources tell Reuters the company aims to begin low-volume test assemblies on Feb. 20.
The $35,000 car isn’t expected to go into production until July. Skeptics have doubted the company will be ready to launch the car that quickly, suggesting the company would do well to begin low-volume mass production by year-end.
CEO Elon Musk acknowledges the timing of a ramp-up in production will depend on the ability of suppliers to meet their deadlines. Reuters notes that Tesla could bolster investor confidence by being able to point to the start of pilot production ahead of its fourth-quarter financial report on Feb. 22.
Tesla has collected some 373,000 refundable $1,000 deposits for the Model 3, the company’s first moderately priced model.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Choosing the Right Fasteners for Automotive
PennEngineering makes hundreds of different fasteners for the automotive industry with standard and custom products as well as automated assembly solutions. Discover how they’re used and how to select the right one. (Sponsored Content)
-
Global Supply of Automotive Fasteners from a Single Source
PennEngineering offers a global supply for a wide range of fasteners for the automotive industry, including China-based facilities that manufacture standard and custom products to world-class standards of quality at lower cost.
-
GM Seeks to Avert U.S. Plant Shutdowns Linked to Supplier Bankruptcy
General Motors Co. says it hopes to claim equipment and inventory from a bankrupt interior trim supplier to avoid being forced to idle all 19 of its U.S. assembly plants.