According to people familiar with the matter, the Tesla factory of SAN FRANCISCO have been told to suppliers that it will begin to pilot production model 3 on Feb. 20.
The sources did not know how many of the highly anticipated vehicles Tesla aimed to build in February, but it would likely be a small number to test the assembly system and the quality of vehicle parts.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk last year told investors that he intended to start building the cars in July 2017,more than 370,000 customers who put deposits down for a Model 3. At the time, many analysts and suppliers said the timeline was too ambitious and would be difficult to achieve, pointing to Tesla's history of missing aggressive production targets.
〝The better way to stoke the fan base and Wall Street is wheeling out the pre-production models〞. one person familiar with Tesla's plans said it before the earnings announcement .”The Tesla spokesman declined to comment on the company's production schedule.
Musk had told investors last year that the company could miss the July 2017 startup target if suppliers do not meet deadlines.
Tesla has a lot riding on the Model 3, which is priced at roughly $35,000 before government incentives. If successful, the sedan could raise Tesla beyond a niche luxury player in the automotive sector.
Musk's bold approach to cars, space exploration and clean energy has fueled investor enthusiasm for Tesla, but skeptics are waiting to see if Musk can fulfill his promise of producing 500,000 cars per year by 2018.
That would expand Tesla's annual production by four to five times compared to 2016 levels. In its fourth quarter, Tesla produced 24,882 vehicles.
Sources with knowledge of the Model 3 timeline had called it extremely aggressive, with challenges compounded by Tesla making last-minute changes to the car's design. Such design tweaks can delay production, and add cost as suppliers rework tools and molds to meet new specifications.
Total sales of fully electric vehicles last year in the United States amounted to just 84,275 vehicles, according to data compiled by the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
Xiao mage,the super fans of Tesla predict that the TESLA FACTORY will previously product the Model 3in large quantities in May.Maybe America will begin to deliver the Model 3 after August,and China after November.
