FREMONT, Calif. _ Will a third shift be the charm for Tesla as it seeks to get its Model 3 production on track?
That's the hope according to an email that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has sent to company employees. In the email, a copy of which was obtained by the automotive tech blog Electrek, Musk says Tesla's Fremont plant is about to add a third shift and go to 24-hour, seven-days-a-week production on the Model 3, with a goal of cranking out 6,000 of the electric cars by the end of June.
"As part of the drive towards 6k, all Model 3 production at Fremont will move to 24/7 operations. This means that we will be adding another shift to general assembly, body and paint," Musk said in the email.
Musk also added that to meet Tesla's production goals, the company will go on a hiring spree and add 400 jobs a week "for several weeks," for its Model 3 assembly line. This comes on the heels of Tesla shutting down Model 3 production for several days to get its Model 3 issues sorted out.
Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from this news organization.
It's a bold gamble for Musk, who has staked much of his and Tesla's reputations on a successful, widespread rollout of the Model 3. The sedan, which starts at $35,000, is supposed be Tesla's first so-called moderately priced car.
"(The) Model 3 is critical to Tesla's growth," said Tim Bajarin, president of tech consultancy Creative Strategies. "While their higher end models drive profits, the Model 3 with its lower price drives growth. Getting the manufacturing problems of the Model 3 corrected will determine Tesla's longevity and its ability to remain a top electric vehicle vendor in the future."
But reports of production delays and issues in the Model 3's design and build have cast a pall over Tesla in recent weeks. Investors have been skittish about Tesla, too, and the company's shares have fallen by almost 19 percent, to $292.60 Wednesday after reaching a 2018 high of $360.50 on Jan. 23.
