Tesla idles Fremont production line for Model X upgrade

[Gizmotoy]

If they are retooling to increase production capacity, does that mean if a vehicle is ordered now it will arrive much sooner than the estimated delivery frame? (The current estimate of late October)

They've been supply-constrained in the past, with the number of Model S being produced essentially equal to the number of batteries they could source. Especially early on they were averse to replacing customer batteries unless they truly had to as every replaced battery reduced the number of cars they could produce by one (and is one of the reasons why a few unlucky customers got new A packs well into the B/D release window). That's eased, now.

Supply won't magically increase with the retooling, but perhaps they were getting close to the point where the bottleneck was on their end rather than the battery supplier's.

That, or straightening out the line at the same time as ramping up the X line just made sense. Or perhaps both.

Pretty cool, no matter what the reason.

 

[Icesis]

For those who went to the Freemont plant, how many cars do they produce per week?

 

[GoBlue88]

Anyone know if they are back up and running?

 

[Vger]

Anyone know if they are back up and running?

Can't wait for someone to report on the first tours of the new config! But I suspect that they will not restart tours until they do the formal reveal of the Model X alpha (final design intent). Announcement of that could come any day, I would guess!

 

[HHHH]

Yea, it'll be exciting!

 

[tekstrand24]

Cant wait to see it on September 13th!

 

[NJ Plugin]

Can't wait for someone to report on the first tours of the new config! But I suspect that they will not restart tours until they do the formal reveal of the Model X alpha (final design intent). Announcement of that could come any day, I would guess!

Tours re-started today. A local NJ owner was in the Bay Area, and arranged his tour a few weeks ago. He has not posted afterwards, so do not know ant more details.

 

[LGGD]

Anyone know if they are back up and running?

My Model S went into production on the 4th of August. It is a RHD version for Australia.

 

[Benz]

Cant wait to see it on September 13th!

What is taking place on September 13th, 2014?

 

[swaltner]

What is taking place on September 13th, 2014?

That comment was right after a couple comments saying others were excited for tours to resume after the plant shutdown. I interpreted the excitement about Sep 13 as not being anything special in Tesla Motors's eyes, but it is the day that tekstrand24 goes on their factory tour.

 

[GoBlue88]

My Model S went into production on the 4th of August. It is a RHD version for Australia.

Nice, and congrats...the wait is almost over!

 

[tekstrand24]

Yea that is the day I pick up my car and get my tour!

 

[LGGD]

Thanks GoBlue88, it has been a three year wait with a Signature deposit.

Nice, and congrats...the wait is almost over!

 

[GregHudson]

They've been supply-constrained in the past, with the number of Model S being produced essentially equal to the number of batteries they could source. Especially early on they were averse to replacing customer batteries unless they truly had to as every replaced battery reduced the number of cars they could produce by one (and is one of the reasons why a few unlucky customers got new A packs well into the B/D release window). That's eased, now.

Supply won't magically increase with the retooling, but perhaps they were getting close to the point where the bottleneck was on their end rather than the battery supplier's.

That, or straightening out the line at the same time as ramping up the X line just made sense. Or perhaps both.

Pretty cool, no matter what the reason.

My thought: If they were/are supply constrained by a lack of batteries, why on earth would they be building commercial battery backup units (i.e. the big brothers to the PowerWall) ?

GH

 

[techmaven]

My thought: If they were/are supply constrained by a lack of batteries, why on earth would they be building commercial battery backup units (i.e. the big brothers to the PowerWall) ?

GH

In the fall of 2013, Tesla production was constrained by the availability of cells from Panasonic. Tesla and Panasonic hammered together a new supplier agreement where Panasonic agreed to increase the cell supply. Given that Panasonic likely geared up to deliver cell supply for Model X deliveries in higher numbers and earlier than what has happened so far, Tesla likely has extra cell supply - hence the Tesla Energy products can soak up that extra capacity and de-risk the capacity expansion.

 

[Doug_G]

My thought: If they were/are supply constrained by a lack of batteries, why on earth would they be building commercial battery backup units (i.e. the big brothers to the PowerWall) ?

This is why they are building the gigafactory, and the battery systems are also being used to justify the gigafactory to the investors.

I expect they will only produce a trickle of these systems until at least the first phase of the gigafactory is up and running.