Tesla temporarily halts Model 3 production
Tesla will temporarily suspend Model 3 production as part of planned downtime for the assembly line, according to the company.
The brief production halt at the Fremont, California, facility is the second since February, as Tesla looks to accelerate its output of the new Model 3 all-electric sedan.
A Tesla spokesperson said the electric car maker’s production plan for the Model 3 incudes planned downtime in Fremont and at Gigafactory 1 battery plant.
“These periods are used to improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks in order to increase production rates,” the spokesperson added.
The production halt was first reported by Buzzfeed, citing Tesla employees. Model 3 production will be suspended for a period of about four to five days, the report said. Production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV will continue during the Model 3’s shutdown.
Tesla has struggled to meet ambitious growth targets for Model 3 production. The company doubled its weekly production rate in the first quarter, although it fell short of its plan to build 2,500 Model 3 units per week. Tesla continues to target a weekly production rate of 5,000 Model 3s by the end of the second quarter.