I'm a huge Musk/Tesla fan (maybe even a fanboy), but the idea of volunteering so Elon can earn his $55Bn bonus is unnerving to say the least.
Meanwhile according to the fanboys in /r/teslamotors it appears deliveries are still riddled with obvious defects. Look at the rims on this <i>brand new</i> vehicle!<p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/87wbxv/model_3_delivery_today_scratched_rim_charge_port/" rel="nofollow">https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/87wbxv/model_3...</a>
Tesla is only at around 1,000 cars pers week on the Model 3. There’s a link in the article where you can track Model 3 production:<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-tesla-tracker/" rel="nofollow">https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-tesla-tracker/</a><p>Their goal is 10,000 cars a week by the end of the year. Yesterday there was talk that Tesla used too much automation:<p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/28/tesla-is-overusing-automation-in-model-3-final-assembly-analysts-say/" rel="nofollow">https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/28/tesla-is-overusing-automat...</a>
"Work harder, not smarter".<p>An auto assembly line is a custom-built machine a thousand feet long. It runs as fast as the slowest station. Its reject rate is determined by the worst station.
Every station is custom designed for the product. This is not an easy thing to debug while also trying to use it for production.<p>On the other hand, Tesla has a relatively simple vehicle without much variation. It's a sled with a body on top. The power train is all in the sled. That simplifies assembly. There are US assembly lines which make a whole range of similar vehicles on the same line. Tesla doesn't do that. They don't have a foundry and IC engine plant at all. What they're doing is well within automotive assembly technology.<p>Everybody is guessing. Tesla is so secretive that nobody outside really knows what's wrong with their assembly line. Do they have a few troublesome stations, or many random failures? Custom tooling that's not quite right? A high alarm rate from sensors, causing line stops? No buffering into a station that has variable time, so the line upstream stalls?
One station that needs to be split into two, but there's no room? Supplier problems? Aluminum stamping problems? Not enough experienced manufacturing engineers?<p>Their secrecy isn't helping them. Analysts are assuming the worst. They'd probably look better if they had a reporter who really knows auto factories visit for a few days and write up an honest evaluation.
They do this every single quarter.
There's a reason they got up to 1000 a week right before the end of last quarter, and then dipped back down for months after that. The headline is either going to be that they're on track or that they're not, their stock price is going to be greatly affected one way or the other.
Man.... if this doesn't trigger a NLRB vote to unionize then I've given up hope on there ever being a working middle class with 40 hr work week, decent pay, and benefits.
I wonder if Tesla will experience an assembly line version of the Mythical Man Month.<p>I assume the Model 3 line is a bit different from the others, because if it was the same, they wouldn't have so much trouble meeting targets. So the workers who switch to it from other assembly lines will presumably need some time to ramp up.
I live in Florida but would come volunteer. Is there a way I can do that. I do have a vested interest since I am on the list for a 3.<p>but if you workers on MY X line and I needed you to work on MY 3 line I am not sure I would ASK. They work for Tesla motors not Tesla Motors X line. (employees these days ;) )
The article uses the word "volunteer", but then it does not provide any evidence that the workers are not being paid. So I would use the word "employee"...
Obviously they can offer to pay their workers more for longer hours what's wrong with that??