Tesla prepares production increase at Fremont factory, builds new parallel line under tent

We received more information about Tesla’s plan to increase production at the Fremont factory with a new parallel general assembly line under its infamous tent.

When Tesla was forced to shut down its Fremont factory due to COVID-19 back in March, Electrek reported that Tesla was going to use the factory shutdowns to do upgrades and improve production at the site.

The plans included a new tent-like structure for a new assembly line:

“Now we are told that Tesla plans to do something similar for Model Y and deploy some production capacity under a sprung structure to go in operation when they can reopen the plant.”

The strategy follows Tesla’s famous GA4 assembly line built under a tent-like structure in 2018.

Tesla has taken some flack for building production capacity under tents, but the “tents” are actually “sprung structure,” which are much sturdier than what most people think of when they think of a tent.

As we reported last month, Tesla briefly shut down the GA4 line for upgrades.

We now get a better idea of the upgrades Tesla has done at Fremont factory during the shutdown.

Sources familiar with the matter told Electrek that Tesla built a new Model 3/Model Y subframe production line under the new tent at Fremont factory.

Here are new pictures of the new tent with the upcoming new production capacity at Tesla’s Fremont factory:

Furthermore, Tesla upgraded the GA4 line with a new parallel general assembly line next to the existing one.

It is expected that the new subframe line in the new tent is going to help feed the now two parallel assembly lines under the GA4 tent.

Tesla has been producing both Model 3 and Model Y vehicles on the GA4 line.

As of last quarter, Tesla said that it had an annual production capacity of 400,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles at the Fremont factory.

Electrek’s Take

It’s too early to say by how many cars Tesla’s Model 3/Model Y production capacity is going to increase at Fremont due to this upgrade.

In my opinion, it will increase to at least 10,000 cars per week — 500,000 Model 3/Model Y per year.

I think that’s going to be the minimum exit rate at the end of the quarter.

However, I’m not sure how big of an impact it’s going to have this quarter since Tesla is going to have to ramp the new line up.

Furthermore, Tesla also has the upcoming GA5 line. Therefore, we could see quite a higher production capacity by the end of the year.