Factory Tour

[Daemon]

I'm off to the US next weekend and will be doing the factory tour and a test drive of a P85D. Does anyone have any questions they want me to ask, or things I should look out for?

I'll obviously try to find out about when the Australian 'D' models are being built, and I know ZTrekus wants to know about the hours the factory operates.

I'll post some photos in this thread, but as they don't let you take cameras inside it will only be of the outside of the building.

 

[doctorwho]

how about asking them if they want to take over the Toyota factory here?:biggrin:

 

[raynewman]

I'm off to the US next weekend and will be doing the factory tour and a test drive of a P85D. Does anyone have any questions they want me to ask, or things I should look out for?

I'll obviously try to find out about when the Australian 'D' models are being built, and I know ZTrekus wants to know about the hours the factory operates.

I'll post some photos in this thread, but as they don't let you take cameras inside it will only be of the outside of the building.

I'm doing the tour 10 July - so I'll add to this then.

 

[Trav]

I am off to the states in July also.

I already have a test drive booked in for Santa Monica.

How did you guys organise the factory tour?

 

[Daemon]

I asked they guys in Sydney about it and they put someone from the factory in contact with me.

 

[Trav]

I asked they guys in Sydney about it and they put someone from the factory in contact with me.

Thanks

 

[doug]

Or you can come to TMC Connect like Ray.

 

[ZTrekus]

I'm off to the US next weekend and will be doing the factory tour and a test drive of a P85D. Does anyone have any questions they want me to ask, or things I should look out for?

I'll obviously try to find out about when the Australian 'D' models are being built, and I know ZTrekus wants to know about the hours the factory operates.

I'll post some photos in this thread, but as they don't let you take cameras inside it will only be of the outside of the building.

Thanks Daemon, can't wait! Have a great trip!

I would love to see those X-men robots and that stamping machine. Apparently the same bot that puts the seats in the car also glues the windscreen to the car. Keep an eye out for that too.

I would also really love to see them make the motors - knitting machine and all.

I think Henry Ford would be proud!

 

[raynewman]

Or you can come to TMC Connect like Ray.

Definitely worth looking at: Factory tour, Test drive a D if you wish, party at Tesla HQ, Listen to presentations from Tesla engineers and much more.

 

[Dborn]

The motors and battery packs are done on level 2 I believe. Last I heard, level 2 was out of bounds/ classified. When I did the tour in 2011. The areas they did not show us were level 2 and the paint shop. Said the latter was too far away.

 

[ZTrekus]

The motors and battery packs are done on level 2 I believe. Last I heard, level 2 was out of bounds/ classified. When I did the tour in 2011. The areas they did not show us were level 2 and the paint shop. Said the latter was too far away.

I guess it is a logistical problem getting people up to level two and down again. There are YouTube clips showing them.

Today I went to JayCar and bought their magazine which has a feature on the Mighty Tesla.

Also I bought the Evannex hardcopy of Owning Model S, expected in around 3-4 weeks.

 

[GregHudson]

how about asking them if they want to take over the Toyota factory here?:biggrin:

+1 from me.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm off to the US next weekend and will be doing the factory tour and a test drive of a P85D. Does anyone have any questions they want me to ask, or things I should look out for?

I'll obviously try to find out about when the Australian 'D' models are being built, and I know ZTrekus wants to know about the hours the factory operates.

I'll post some photos in this thread, but as they don't let you take cameras inside it will only be of the outside of the building.

My #1 question is when or *IF* grab handles are going to be added above each door (inc. Model x & 3). Thanks, Greg.

 

[Daemon]

Spotted 9 Model S around the Palo Alto area in one afternoon. Doing the factory tour tomorrow.

 

[Aussie Yank]

Spotted 9 Model S around the Palo Alto area in one afternoon. Doing the factory tour tomorrow.

if you could, ask them if they have only a single model S assembly line (which I think we already know is yes)
and then time a single step of the line, any step (tak time between line moves). It should be 4-6 minutes

finally ask them the start to finish time for a complete car ---perhaps 5-6 days I would guess, maybe longer

then we can calculate line parameters

thanks and enjoy the tour

 

[GregHudson]

I watched the 4 part documentary on the Tesla factory, and they said the paint shop alone takes 1.5 days per car (which seemed excessive to me).
I think this is the one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lfxPI5ObM

GH

 

[europe]

If you listen they say it takes 3-5 days from start to finish

 

[Daemon]

Finished the tour about 12 hours ago, but haven't had time to write this until now. It was well worth the trip for anyone coming to the U.S. and there will probably be more to see in a few months when the second production line is up and running. The guy has seen some right hand drive cars going through but didn't know if they were for Australia or other markets. The factory operates 16 hours a day mostly, but different parts operate at different times. It takes about 5 days to complete a car, but it doesn't all happen end to end in 5 days. It seemed like they had a large stock of all the aluminium body parts built and none of the aluminium presses were operating while we were there, so I guess they have plenty of spare capacity there. They also had a large number of drive units built. The assembly line was running. The tour moved very quickly, but we got to stop and watch the some of the robots working, but it was difficult to see what was happening during all the other stages as we whizzed past.

We did the P85D test drive afterwards, which was good fun of course. And I got to see the Deep Blue colour, which looks very nice.

 

[GregHudson]

I vowed never to back to the USA (been there numerous times) however your description of the factory tour has tempted me ;-)
GH

 

[Daemon]

Here's some of the photos I took at the factory as well as a few other encounters in the US and Canada.

I just noticed that the Tesla security cars are actually electric Toyotas.

Factory tour badge (held by my wife)

The factory, with the red P85D that we got to drive later on.

Cars ready for delivery.

A Tesla in Yellowstone National Park - the driver said he was staying in RV parks and charging there using the mobile connector.

Charging outside Vancouver Aquarium

Display in Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas. There was always a crowd around it, and nobody near the Ferrari on display nearby.

 

[doctorwho]

It was very thoughtful of your wife to match her nail polish colour to the colour of the Tesla tour badge