Currently reading: Tesla Model 3 production hits 5000 units per week just before deadline

Company produced 7000 vehicles in final week of June; Model 3 output just reaches self-imposed deadline

Tesla Model 3 output hit 5000 units in the final week of June, just meeting the firm's self-imposed deadline to reach that figure by the end of the second quarter.

Elon Musk said via his Twitter account that Tesla had built 7000 cars in total last week at its California factory. Production has been temporarily boosted by a huge tent outside that facility to accommodate another production line.

The tent was the latest in a long list of developments aimed at ensuring the milestone of 5000 Model 3s was reached in time. After the first quarter, the brand claimed that it had increased output by 40%. Tesla said: “This is the fastest growth of any automotive company in the modern era. If this rate of growth continues, it will exceed even that of Ford and the Model T.”

The company had been struggling with ‘production bottlenecks’ for the Model 3 and briefly halted production of the car in February to fix automation issues at the California plant.

Model 3   red driving sunset

Tesla said a series of short shutdowns that took place before the summer had enabled it to address production and supply chain bottlenecks, allowing it to increase Model 3 production “exponentially”.

It added: “What took our team five years for S/X took only nine months for Model 3.”

Analysis: Will the Model 3 make or break Tesla?

The company has responded to concerns about the Model 3's quality due to the comparably rapid build rate versus its other models. It said: “The quality of Model 3 coming out of production is at the highest level we have seen across all our products. This is reflected in the overwhelming delight expressed by our customers with their Model 3s.”

Production prospects could be further boosted by an influx of cash from Model 3 confirmation deposits, which were requested last month. The confirmation deposit requires US customers who have placed $1000 for an order to add another $2500 (around £1900) to move the process to build stage.

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Analysts said this could be a signal that production is ramping up to levels that can handle the 400,000-plus orders that have been placed for Tesla's entry-level model.

Read more:

Tesla Model 3 customers asked for $2500 confirmation deposit

Analysis: is the UK ready for an electrified future

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

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jason_recliner 2 July 2018

Credit where credit's due

I really didn't think he'd make it there, but he did. Good on him.
Scoobman 2 July 2018

Musk's Day

Lets give Tesla and Elon Musk credit for making 5000 Model 3s in a week. If you think of a field with 5000 cars in it, that is a damn lot of cars.

Many of us have real misgivings about Tesla's financial position, but at least they have got the technology into production.

Oilburner 2 July 2018

Damned by faint praise

"just before deadline", "struggling with production bottlenecks", "production has been temporatily boosted" etc

Can't we just be pleased that they did it?  No need to qualify their success, they made their self imposed deadline (more or less) and they are, without a doubt, in the mass production game.  So the haters will have to move onto some other complaint now.

Well done to them!  If this was JLR, the spin would have been different, for sure...

BTW the "tent" is about as temporary as the pre-fab houses of 50s Britain.  When they need to, I'm sure they can move it to a regular building, if required.