Tesla prepares to boost Fremont production, report says
It's also about to begin a hiring spree, according to an email sent to employees.
While Tesla has not yet released its Q2 2019 financial figures, the automaker did announce that it produced 87,048 cars and delivered 95,200 to customers in the second quarter, both records for the company. With demand seemingly holding strong, it looks like Tesla is prepped to make Q3 even better than the quarter before.
Tesla aims to increase production at its plant in Fremont, California once again, Bloomberg reports, citing an internal email from Jerome Guillen, Tesla's president of automotive. While the production push hasn't happened yet, Guillen's email said the company is "making preparations" for it, not delving further into specifics. Tesla did not immediately return a request for comment.
Additional production likely means more hands needed for various efforts, and Guillen's email appears to reflect that. "As we continue to ramp up production, please tell your friends and neighbors that we have lots of exciting new positions open, both in Fremont and at [Gigafactory, the company's battery plant in Nevada]," the email reads, according to Bloomberg. This is in contrast to the job cuts CEO Elon Musk put forth earlier this year, although the 9% workforce slice-and-dice announced in June did not include production staff.
As Bloomberg notes, it's up to the Model 3 -- Tesla's least expensive model -- to prop the company up amid middling demand for its larger cars, the Model S and Model X . While many automakers are quick to roll out updates to older vehicles, physical or otherwise, in order to keep those cars relevant amid a changing automotive landscape, Musk went to Twitter to say that there will be no "refreshed" Model S or X.
That's not to say Tesla is just ignoring its bigger cars. In fact, the automaker announced in April that it would roll out a host of under-the-body changes to both vehicles. Thanks to a new permanent-magnet front motor and other changes, the Model S saw its maximum range grow to an impressive 370 miles, with the Model X Long Range now producing 325 miles. The cars also grew the ability to accept 200 kilowatts of power from Tesla's V2 Superchargers.
Roadshow's own Tim Stevens took a revised Model S for a spin, and while the changes impressed him, he thought a visual reboot (or some new features, like ventilated seats or a surround-view camera system) would make the car even more compelling.
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