Tesla is under a bit of pressure to release the Model 3 within the year, despite the increasing number of reservations for the affordable electric sedan. And the company has begun battery production in its Gigafactory in Nevada, the same space will be used for other parts of the upcoming unit. That is, according to Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, who claimed the same.
As noted by C|Net, Governor Sandoval announced that Tesla will bring some of its production lines to its Gigafactory from its plant in California. More specifically, the EV company will manufacture electric motors and gearboxes. He mentioned the same during his speech, which outlined the policy initiatives he will be taking during his last two years in office.
The Gigafactory, which was built in partnership with Tesla, is going to be a monster of a plant. Engadget notes that as much as 550 new jobs will be created. But while it is good for the citizens of Nevada, it only means that individuals who have put in an order for the Model 3 are one step closer to getting the electric vehicle of their dreams.
Other than the items previously mentioned, the Gigafactory will be responsible for churning out the batteries, which are arguably the heart of an electric vehicle. The majority of the Model 3 will still be constructed on the NUMMI facility in California. The plant was acquired by Tesla after the area was vacated by Toyota and General Motors.
Currently, there are over 400,000 orders for the Model 3, of which delivery is scheduled to begin before the year ends. The sheer number of reservations have somewhat put Tesla in an unexpected predicament, as the publication notes that CEO Elon Musk was taken aback by the same. Nevertheless, the company is doing what it can in order to meet demands.
Moving production of electric motors and the gearboxes to the Gigafactory will provide Tesla with more space in its California plant. The space can then be used to produce the remaining parts of the Model 3. The question really is not if the company is doing what it can to meet demands, but whether or not it can ship the promised amount despite its best efforts.
In its most successful year to date, Tesla managed to deliver over 80,000 units in 2016. Even if the company can double this amount, it will still leave hundreds of thousands without the Model 3. However, several publications are still hopeful that the company will be able to meet its targets - both in numbers and its overall goal to make electric vehicles more available to the masses.
The Model 3, which will retail for about US$35,000, can travel over 215 miles on a single full charge. In terms of speed, the unit will be able to go from 0 to 60 kilometers per hour in under six seconds - an impressive statistic that is attached to the slowest variant. It currently has a five-star safety rating, largely because it has a bigger crumple zone on the front of a vehicle, as opposed to a standard petrol car which would house the metal engine in the front.
