Tesla starts AWD Model 3 production in a tent outside Fremont factory – Roadshow
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Tesla starts AWD Model 3 production in a tent outside Fremont factory
This should be good news for folks holding out for the performance variant.
It might not be the most ideal solution, but Tesla has found a way to start cranking out all-wheel-drive performance variants of the Model 3.
Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that Tesla now has a new assembly line. There’s a catch, though — it’s in a temporary tent structure outside its Fremont, California, facility. According to Musk, the whole shebang was put together in three weeks with “minimal resources.”
Amazing work by Tesla team. Built entire new general assembly line in 3 weeks w minimal resources. Love u guys so much! Pic of 1st Model 3 dual motor performance coming off the line … pic.twitter.com/Xr55P3fmGd
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2018
It’s unclear why Tesla decided to build the latest variant of the Model 3 — the all-wheel-drive performance version — closer to the elements, but it’s possible that it could have some space issues inside. The automaker didn’t immediately return a request for comment, so it’s unclear how permanent this solution is, and whether or not it’s related to space issues inside its 5.3-million-square-foot facility.
A tweet from Ed Niedermeyer paints the new assembly line as a temporary thing. He allegedly found the permit for the tent, which has approval “for up to six months after issuance,” but Tesla was not immediately available to confirm the veracity of the permit.
Looks like Tesla’s new tent-based assembly line is currently only temporarily permitted for “up to six months.” pic.twitter.com/THOAkNf7sR
— Problem Magnet (@Tweetermeyer) June 18, 2018
In May, Elon Musk finally let slip some details on its latest Model 3 variant. A more traditional all-wheel-drive variant will command a $5,000 premium, dropping the 0-60 time to 4.5 seconds and packing 310 miles of range. A performance variant will boost output and drop that acceleration figure to just 3.5 seconds, but it’ll cost about $78,000 fully loaded, which shoots into BMW M3 territory — both in terms of performance and price.
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