Reuters: Tesla to start pilot production of 3 on feb 20th

[Trev Page]

First chassis appears to have been made:

Tesla Model 3: First pictures of chassis and inside the ‘alien dreadnought’?

I can confirm that it is indeed a Model 3 chassis based on very careful scrutiny of the pressed parts compared to the reveal video.

 

[Snow Drift]

But that picture is from a week ago. So while it's great to see, it's not based on the stoppage.

And as a Broncos fan I can't support that Raiders fan in the pic! Hahahah

 

[calisnow]

FSD won't be available (legal) for probably several years, until then regular people will need to be able control their cars.

@dsvick @larmor - even with FSD the HUD will be very helpful to any driver who is awake and monitoring systems. I put a lot of miles on my autopilot S. It is rock solid reliable on highways but still I frequently look at the screens instinctively just to check speed, battery level, what the car sees around it and what nav is telling me.

This actually gets tiring and is perhaps a detriment to safety because your eyes are not on the road.

Pilots have this problem with all the fancy tech in planes today - they don't look outside enough.

A HUD will be relaxing and a safety enhancer.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

But that picture is from a week ago. So while it's great to see, it's not based on the stoppage.

And as a Broncos fan I can't support that Raiders fan in the pic! Hahahah

But if the picture is from a week ago, and there are already Model 3 parts on the line, it...at the very least...proves they are ON schedule to retool this week. And best case scenario, it proves they are a week ahead of schedule.

 

[dsvick]

The first car to be built for customer sale is usually called "Job 1" - at MB we used to take this first one and all team members would sign it and it would go into the museum (rather than actually being sold). Tesla may do things differently.

So you took the first car that was for a customer, wrote all over it, then locked it away somewhere where they couldn't get it?

 

[dsvick]

First chassis appears to have been made:

Tesla Model 3: First pictures of chassis and inside the ‘alien dreadnought’?

I can confirm that it is indeed a Model 3 chassis based on very careful scrutiny of the pressed parts compared to the reveal video.

View attachment 215680

But that picture is from a week ago. So while it's great to see, it's not based on the stoppage.

And as a Broncos fan I can't support that Raiders fan in the pic! Hahahah

But if the picture is from a week ago, and there are already Model 3 parts on the line, it...at the very least...proves they are ON schedule to retool this week. And best case scenario, it proves they are a week ahead of schedule.

Just to play devil's advocate, just because the picture was posted a week ago doesn't mean it was taken a week ago ... it could be a year old picture from one of the frames they built last year for the first reveal ....

I'll go hide now ....

 

[Model 3]

But that picture is from a week ago. So while it's great to see, it's not based on the stoppage.

The stoppage was (partly) for some upgrade of the paint shop if I have got it right, and as you see, the frame is not yet painted. So now it is waiting for the paint shop to be completed

 

[AB4EJ]

So you took the first car that was for a customer, wrote all over it, then locked it away somewhere where they couldn't get it?

Strange, but true. As it worked out, we wound up scrapping the first 125 customer cars off the line anyway because fatal flaws were discovered in the main wiring harness after they were built. (I expect Delphi Packard wound up eating the entire cost). Why scrap 'em? In the case of the Mercedes M-Class (same with many vehicles), the main body wiring harness is one of the first things installed in assembly; to change it out, you have to disassemble almost the entire interior, which then damages parts, etc. You would be amazed at some of the stuff that goes on in an assembly plant...(any assembly plant).... it's a wonder that any car company ever makes any money...

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Just to play devil's advocate, just because the picture was posted a week ago doesn't mean it was taken a week ago ... it could be a year old picture from one of the frames they built last year for the first reveal ....

I'll go hide now ....

To play Devil's Advocate Squared.....if there was a line in Fremont named Area 51 A YEAR AGO....that might not make as much sense, considering the timing of Elon's "alien dreadnought" comments.

Also, pre-expansion, Fremont isn't big enough to have hidden an entire production line from public view for close to a year. Someone on one of their tours may have asked "what's behind the curtain" by now.....

 

[dsvick]

To play Devil's Advocate Squared.....if there was a line in Fremont named Area 51 A YEAR AGO....that might not make as much sense, considering the timing of Elon's "alien dreadnought" comments.

True, but the picture of the frame and area 51 picture are different pictures that could have been taken at different times

Also, pre-expansion, Fremont isn't big enough to have hidden an entire production line from public view for close to a year. Someone on one of their tours may have asked "what's behind the curtain" by now.....

Ignore the man behind the curtain .....

 

[Mkorpal]

True, but the picture of the frame and area 51 picture are different pictures that could have been taken at different times
Ignore the man behind the curtain .....

51 is also in the picture of the frame.

 

[dsvick]

51 is also in the picture of the frame.

It's a partial number on the side of what looks like a lift truck, I wouldn't read anything into it.

 

[TexLaw]

It's a partial number on the side of what looks like a lift truck, I wouldn't read anything into it.

Where's the fun in that?

(Is one of those guys barefoot or in a walrus costume?)

 

[ZeApelido]

Ok I have a few friends and acquaintances that work at Tesla. One of them normally works at the Gigafactory and is "randomly" working at the Fremont factory this week. I hinted at the Model 3 pre-production starting and he responded "you know too much".

 

[Az_Rael]

I did look at the original Instagram account when this first surfaced on reddit last week, I wished I had noted the dates, but the photos weren't recent as I recall. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the prototype.

Looks like he took down his Instagram account, so no way to know anymore.

Unfortunately, the fellow probably was fired and had to learn an important life lesson about posting work stuff on social media that isnt allowed by your employer. He had lots of selfies from inside the factory, etc.

 

[206er]

Hopefully they gave him a choice between deleting his current account and keeping his job...

 

[Lloyd]

Its been over a month since there was an update on the Tesla site. I would expect there to be some news soon!!

 

[dsvick]

Its been over a month since there was an update on the Tesla site. I would expect there to be some news soon!!

I would expect something tomorrow in the investors call. I don't think that's the place for a big product announcement though, so maybe it'll just be an "Everything is on schedule" comment, maybe a year end reservation tally. We might even get the announcement about the next reveal dates...

 

[AB4EJ]

This is all very odd to me. I have never before seen a case where customers had any insight whatsoever into production trials. All that really matters is when Job 1 goes down the line... although I do see that it is a lot of fun to speculate about it...

 

[daniel]

... All that really matters is when Job 1 goes down the line...

I don't care about Job 1. I care about my car.