The coronavirus crisis is intensifying in the USA, while in China at least the first wave seems to have been largely overcome. These conditions are also reflected in the large Tesla factories that are now found on two continents: The Gigafactory in Shanghai is now expected to have a production rate of 3000 Model 3 per week. In the United States, on the other hand, production at the Solar Gigafactory in New York and the electric car plant in Fremont had to be interrupted this week – and it has now become known that Tesla also wants to reduce its staff by 75 percent in the Battery Gigafactory in Nevada.
Tesla follows partner Panasonic
After the first reports of the interruption at the Fremont plant in California, there was brief hope that Tesla could at least produce batteries for Model 3 and Model Y in the meantime. For this there is the battery gigafactory operated in cooperation with Panasonic in Reno in the state of Nevada. However, Panasonic announced a little later that it would stop producing battery cells in Nevada for the time being this week, so Tesla would probably not have been able to manufacture many battery packs anyway.
Storey County, Nevada, responsible for oversight, announced Thursday that Tesla plans to cut its own factory staff by 75 percent “over the next few days”. The companies, like Tesla and Panasonic, located in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, would take the virus crisis very seriously and report regularly on compliance with regulations during their emergency operation.
New video for Gigafactory China
It is not clear from the county’s announcement which activities Tesla in the Gigafactory Nevada wants or is allowed to operate without new cells from its partner Panasonic. According to a report by the blog Electrek, the break is planned to be used to improve the production lines in the battery factory. In Fremont, Tesla is said to have similar plans – possibly even the construction of another tent structure for the production of the Model Y.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYEKSCRjG78
But while Tesla in the US is currently at best preparing for a good restart after the Corona crisis, it seems that it has already succeeded in China – actively supported by the state. In a recent video, a local YouTuber, who has reported on the project several times, reports that the capacity of Gigafactory China has now been increased to 3000 Model 3. Diagonally next to the finished production building, the video shows the construction of the next huge hall with a large number of machines working at the same time.
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