Recent reports indicate that electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Inc. plans to begin making vehicles in its Fremont, California Gigafactory once again. The factory has been shut down for some time in keeping with local shelter at home orders put into place by California leadership. However, with some relaxed orders going into effect this week, Tesla looks to restart production and make up for lost time.
There are some hurdles for Tesla to overcome yet. Due to the recent announcement made by California state Governor Gavin Newsom, it’s unclear whether Tesla qualifies as an essential business. As Newsom statement from May 4th reads, “Based off our progress, we’ll begin to gradually move into Stage 2 this FRIDAY. Some sectors where there’s a lower risk of transmission will be able to adapt & re-open with modifications. This will include some retail and manufacturing/logistics.”
Sources at the San Francisco Chronicle report that “Some workers returned to the company’s Fremont plant Wednesday to prepare for a planned reopening of some production lines between now and next week…” Despite its closure, Tesla has maintained a limited staff in place at the factory. This small staff remains in legal accordance with all local orders. The team performed only minimal essential operations to keep the company going. However, with a return to its full workforce on the horizon, it looks as though Tesla wants to get back to work.
