Tesla Reportedly Hit The 5,000 A Week Model 3 Production Goal Today (Updated)

Amid considerable doubt about its future, production methods and labor practices, Tesla reportedly hit a crucial milestone for the Model 3 sedan today: the elusive and long-sought goal of 5,000 cars produced per week. While the company hasn’t officially confirmed the news, it’s a huge deal if it’s accurate and one that could go a long way toward establishing Tesla’s long-term viability. The news was first reported by Reuters today, citing two unnamed workers at the factory. The story said the 5,000th Model 3 “finished final quality checks at the Fremont, California” this morning, hours after the midnight goal established by CEO Elon Musk. A request for confirmation sent by Jalopnik was not immediately returned; if we get it, we will update this post. At least one apparent Tesla worker had this to say on Instagram today in celebration: Musk has not weighed in on this, at least not publicly; his last tweet, sent Friday night, was about short shorts. Tesla said Model 3 production hit 2,270 cars a week in April, but in recent months it had been drastically ramping up production of the sedans it’s staking its future on. The goal had been 5,000 Model 3s a week produced by the end of June. The automaker added a third finishing assembly line in a tent at the Fremont factory, but as the New York Times reported yesterday, the exact methods of building the car itself seemed like a work in progress at times. Production itself was plagued with… [Read full story]