Tesla to Start Production of Ventilators at Fremont Factory

Tesla will partner with medical equipment manufacturer Medtronic to begin producing ventilators at the automaker’s Fremont, Calif. factory.

Medtronic Chief Executive Omar Ishrak appeared Wednesday on CNBC and confirmed the two companies are combining efforts to build ventilators to meet the expected demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Tesla is one that I think people have heard about,” Ishrak said in the interview. “One of our ventilators will be made by them, and they’re fast on track to make that as well.”

Replying to a tweet with a clip of Ishrak’s interview, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the company “will do whatever is needed to help in these difficult times.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242900612897005571

Musk also said that Tesla hopes to reopen its factory in Buffalo for ventilator production.

Tesla suspended production at the factory after Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an order Friday for all workers in nonessential businesses to stay home.

Musk also secured more than 1,200 ventilators from China that he donated to support medical facilities in California. Tesla also donated 50,000 N95 to help protect medical workers treating patients.

Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels

 

[Tam]

So, which one will go online first: Fremont in California or Gigafactory 2 in New York?

Interpreting from the title that misses the Gigafactory 2, does that mean it will be last and not worthy of the title?

 

[wycolo]

. . . deprived of sports one seeks action elsewhere . . .

 

[Kevin-rf]

Wycolo, you could try talking to your spouse, they usually don't bite.

 

[Gray468]

Will there be two versions of the ventilator? Long range and Performance?

Too soon?

Thank you Tesla for stepping up and also for partnering with an expert (I hope) in the field, rather than going it alone.

 

[JPP]

Will there be two versions of the ventilator? Long range and Performance?

Too soon?
.

...way too soon...

For those who 'see the light at the end of the tunnel', beware 'the headlight of the oncoming train'.

 

[Hankmancini]

Will there be two versions of the ventilator? Long range and Performance?

Too soon?

Thank you Tesla for stepping up and also for partnering with an expert (I hope) in the field, rather than going it alone.

Yes, Medtronic manufactures Puritan Bennett Ventilators. They are the experts!

 

[Hack]

It would be a statement if they gave them away to hospitals for free. There's a lot of competition and gouging going on and hospitals are struggling to pay for them.

 

[milleron]

What in the world does "as fast as humanly possible mean?" I wish everyone would stop speaking in platitudes and start speaking in numbers and dates!
We need tens of thousands of these things within 15 days. Please, please don't let this be too little and especially not too late.

Ohio M.D.

 

[RCardona68]

What in the world does "as fast as humanly possible mean?" I wish everyone would stop speaking in platitudes and start speaking in numbers and dates!
We need tens of thousands of these things within 15 days. Please, please don't let this be too little and especially not too late.

Ohio M.D.

 

[RCardona68]

OH MD, you must be aware that equipment assembly requires parts. These are either procured or created. To procure requires a lot of steps and to create requires engineering, toiling and materials. It takes time. That’s as fast as humanly possible. If anyone can create things quickly it is Tesla. Keep your chin up. Thanks

 

[GlennNWWA]

It would be a statement if they gave them away to hospitals for free. There's a lot of competition and gouging going on and hospitals are struggling to pay for them.

 

[GlennNWWA]

Serious goodwill would be the result of that.

 

[GlennNWWA]

What in the world does "as fast as humanly possible mean?" I wish everyone would stop speaking in platitudes and start speaking in numbers and dates!
We need tens of thousands of these things within 15 days. Please, please don't let this be too little and especially not too late.

Ohio M.D.

 

[milleron]

OH MD, you must be aware that equipment assembly requires parts. These are either procured or created. To procure requires a lot of steps and to create requires engineering, toiling and materials. It takes time. That’s as fast as humanly possible. If anyone can create things quickly it is Tesla. Keep your chin up. Thanks

I must have communicated badly. Of course, I understand everything you explain. Who doesn’t?
My plea was for announcements like this to contain best-guess estimates of when and how much they might be able to deliver. For example, Trump yesterday announced that he’d have 100,000 ventilators in 100 days. How pathetically inane! If trucks start delivering those in 100 days, it’ll be too late, and thousands will have died. If he can deliver 1,000/d for 100 days, it’s a completely different story. My plea was for interpretable information, not miracles out of superhero movies.

 

[elfredo]

OH MD, you must be aware that equipment assembly requires parts. These are either procured or created. To procure requires a lot of steps and to create requires engineering, toiling and materials. It takes time. That’s as fast as humanly possible. If anyone can create things quickly it is Tesla. Keep your chin up. Thanks

 

[GlennNWWA]

I must have communicated badly. Of course, I understand everything you explain. Who doesn’t?
My plea was for announcements like this to contain best-guess estimates of when and how much they might be able to deliver. For example, Trump yesterday announced that he’d have 100,000 ventilators in 100 days. How pathetically inane! If trucks start delivering those in 100 days, it’ll be too late, and thousands will have died. If he can deliver 1,000/d for 100 days, it’s a completely different story. My plea was for interpretable information, not miracles out of superhero movies.

 

[Victorious]

What in the world does "as fast as humanly possible mean?" I wish everyone would stop speaking in platitudes and start speaking in numbers and dates!
We need tens of thousands of these things within 15 days. Please, please don't let this be too little and especially not too late.

Ohio M.D.

 

[Victorious]

Please try to be appreciate of the Tesla effort to step up. It’s a big deal. We need more positivity not more cynicism during this trying time. Tesla will step up as always.

 

[mikemillar]

Give the guy a break - after under-estimating the threat, like a lot of us, he is doing something positive while Trump and GM argue about it. Frankly, I worry about you in America. While we in UK and Europe are locked down and might, if we are really lucky, avoid armageddon, you are heading straight for it. Nature is getting it's own back!