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On several fronts, Tesla has worked to advance automotive manufacturing like no other company has ever done before. Elon Musk considers manufacturing capability so crucial that he’s working to make this aspect of Tesla’s business, the EV maker’s long-term competitive advantage.
With the Model 3, we’ve seen an attempt by Tesla to entirely automate the vehicle’s production line using robots and automated conveyor belt systems. Given Tesla’s well-documented struggle with ramping up Model 3 production, it’s easy to say that the Model 3 automation experiment failed.
Early VIN “Foundation Series” Cybertrucks are Selling for as Much as $350,000 Online. @Tesla @elonmusk#Cybertruckhttps://t.co/VHb1Jsh8Yt
— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) December 11, 2023
To solve the Model 3 production issues, Tesla had to finally resort to ripping out all the automated production processes and replacing them with human manual labor. At that moment Elon Musk famously said “Humans are underrated.”
The main issue with the Model 3's highly complicated production line was that the vehicle’s components were not designed to facilitate easy automation. Tesla is still pursuing the “alien dreadnought” factory where no human beings directly participate in the production line for its upcoming next-generation $25,000 compact car which Tesla expects to sell 5 million units per year.
This is exciting but, what other manufacturing efficiencies is Tesla pursuing? I’m glad you asked. Elon Musk has been obsessed with creating the most efficient factory layout in the world. Musk calls factories “the machine that builds the machine” and with every new Tesla plant has been iterating on efficiency.
Elon Musk considers the factory as much a product as the thing that the factory builds. For Tesla’s next-generation vehicle, Musk is most excited about the factory that will build the car even more than the vehicle itself.
Tesla has produced a CAD model (computer-aided design) of the entire factory layout as if the factory was a single gigantic machine. Musk is hoping to layout factories in the most efficient way possible similar to how computer chips are designed for maximum efficiency.
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— Torque News (@torquenewsauto) December 9, 2023
The factory efficiency iteration started with Giga Shanghai where Tesla opened up around 50 unloading bays on the factory walls. This allows parts to be unloaded by trucks to the specific production line where they are needed.
As I’ve already mentioned the highly automated alien dreadnought is for Tesla’s next-gen vehicle. So what manufacturing efficiencies is Tesla planning in the interim?
The simple answer is tunnels. During Tesla’s Q2 2021 earnings call, Elon Musk said that they are considering digging tunnels under Tesla’s Fremont, California plant to more efficiently get car seats directly to the production line.
At the time, Musk also confirmed that several tunnels would be built under Giga Texas for similar purposes. Since then, we haven’t heard much about the Giga Texas tunnels except for some sporadic reports that The Boring Company equipment has been spotted at the Austin factory.
Well, it has been 2 and a half years since Musk promised Giga Texas tunnels and now we finally have concrete evidence that the tunnel project at Giga Texas is officially underway.
What is the evidence? During Joe Tegtmeyer's recent drone flyover of Giga Texas, he was able to spot several pre-built semi-circular cocrete tunnel liners delivered and sitting ready to be installed at the Austin facility.
BIG NEWS for Giga Texas and the Boring Company ... Concrete tunnel linings have been delivered to the west side new End-of-Line & Outbound lot today! We may be seeing a (several) Boring Tunnel (s) to connect under the highway! Check out these images! @SERobinsonJr @esherifftv… pic.twitter.com/oXS6rEM7zq— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) December 11, 2023
Joe has not spotted digging equipment at Giga Texas as of writing however, if sections of the tunnel have already been delivered, it means digging is expected to start in the very near future.
Currently, Tesla has not released a lot of information regarding these tunnels and we only have Elon Musk’s mid-2021 words to go by about the nature of their use. However, we’ll be sure to keep you posted when we learn more about Tesla’s plans.
Until then, visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Excited to see tunnel concrete liners already starting to be delivered at Giga Texas? Do you think Tesla already has a massive lead when it comes to manufacturing that the EV maker should not try out novel approaches? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: The Boring Company on X
For more information check out: MKBHD Releases Cybertruck 2nd Impressions Video – “All the Numbers Except 0 to 60 Mph are Worst Than They Promised, 1st Time That’s True for Tesla”
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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