After deciding that its analytic tools are top-notch and will tell it everything it needs to know, Tesla is skipping the “beta” phase of the Model 3’s development cycle.
In a conference call to investors last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the automaker doesn’t need to bother with that crop of pre-production models. Early release model 3s built on the company’s production assembly line — not specialty one-offs built in a corner of the shop — should be rolling by this week or next, he said.
Last month, Tesla halted production at its Fremont, California assembly plant to prepare for the Model 3. Starting February 20th, the plant went dark to upgrade its paint shop. There’s the tightest of timelines in play for the automaker’s upcoming “affordable” electric sedan, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
SEE ALSO: The Tesla Model S is About to Get More Expensive
By skipping this step, Tesla boosts its chances of meeting the production target date. Another benefit is money saved. There’s also a chance, or so Musk says, that consumers can expect the final product to be much more glitch-free than the problem-plagued early Model S and X. Thank the enhanced computerized scrutiny for that.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that a last-minute realization of a problem with those nearly-ready models could leave the company scrambling. With well over 300,000 reservations to fill from the get go, Tesla no doubt hopes for the rosier scenario.
[Source: Gas2]
