Less than a month after resuming work at its massive plant in Fremont, Tesla is finding itself facing issues with regards to ramping up production of its new Model Y crossover vehicle.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said as much in an email he sent to the company’s employees late Monday. Electrek, a blog that closely follows Tesla and the electric vehicle industry, said it obtained a copy of Musk’s email in which he told workers that the Model Y is Tesla’s “top priority” right now, and that he would be “walking the line” at the Fremont plant to ensure Model Y production gets up to its necessary levels.
“It is extremely important for us to ramp up Model Y production and minimize rectification needs. I want you to know that it really makes a difference to Tesla right now,” said the email, which Electrek reprinted. According to his email, Musk also thanked the Model Y production employees for “bearing with tough conditions,” which he said, “will get better fast.”
Tesla spokespeople didn’t immediately return a request for comment. Tesla employees about 10,000 workers at its Fremont location.
The Model Y, which is marketed as crossover vehicle that falls between Tesla’s Model 3 sedan and its most-expensive offering, the Model X SUV, was to be Tesla’s big vehicle release this year. But, Tesla had only just begun making Model Y deliveries when the coronavirus pandemic broke out and the company was forced to cease production at its Fremont plant in March due to shelter-in-place rules across the Bay Area designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
When Tesla reported its first-quarter results, on April 29, the company didn’t break out the number of Model Y deliveries it made, and instead said it delivered a combined 76,266 Model 3 and Model Y cars during the first three months of the year. The Model Y comes with an introductory price tag of $46,690.
Musk didn’t give any specific details about what is affecting Model Y production, but the vehicle is made on the same vehicle platform as the Model 3.
In mid-May, Tesla got the greenlight from Alameda County health officials to reopen its Fremont plant after shuttering it for two months due to the regional shelter-in-place order. Prior to that, Musk reopened parts of Tesla’s production lines, and Tesla sued Alameda County over the shelter-in-place rules that allowed only what it called essential businesses to remain open. Tesla later dropped its suit after reaching an agreement with the county to resume vehicle production in Fremont.
