Tesla Said It Is Pausing Operations At Two Factories Because Of The Coronavirus
Electric automobile manufacturer Tesla Motors will temporarily suspend operations at two factories in California and New York in response to the public health crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
In an announcement on Thursday, Tesla said it would close its 10,000 employee factory in Fremont, California, its main car assembly hub in the United States, by the end of the day on Monday, March 23. The company said it would also suspend production at its factory in Buffalo, New York, where Tesla manufactures solar panels and charging equipment for its Supercharger network.
The move comes after Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk defied a shelter in place order issued by Alameda County in response to the coronavirus that required residents to stay at home and non-essential businesses to close. While there was initial confusion about whether Tesla’s car manufacturing operations were considered essential — a designation reserved for grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations — the county deemed the Fremont factory not essential on Tuesday evening. In internal statements, Tesla’s executives said there had been confusion in its communications with various officials at the local, state and federal levels.
“Despite taking all known health precautions, continued operations in certain locations has caused challenges for our employees, their families and our suppliers,” the company said in its announcement. “As such, we have decided to temporarily suspend production at our factory in Fremont.“
The company said the four days before the factory’s closure will allow for “an orderly shutdown.” Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, would not comment on whether the company would continue to make cars up until that days, but called the negotiations “a long few days.”
On Wednesday, Kelly had told BuzzFeed News that Tesla had agreed to reduce the amount of workers at the Fremont factory, and that Tesla’s continued building of automobiles was a violation of the county’s order. More city and county officials met with Tesla on Thursday, ultimately leading to the company’s decision to temporarily close the factory.
Tesla did not immediately respond to comment.
Employees at the factory, who had their temperatures taken at work on Wednesday and were required to wear masks, were partially confused by the decision. An internal email noted that hourly employees would be paid through Monday, and that they would be provided with “paid leave during suspended operations.”
When asked what that means, a worker at the Fremont factory said that “none of us are really sure.” They plan to keep showing up for work until the facility is closed.
“As far as I know we are building cars until the end of the week,” they said.
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Electric automobile manufacturer Tesla Motors will temporarily suspend operations at two factories in California and New York in response to the public health crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic. In an announcement on Thursday, Tesla said it would close its 10,000 employee factory in Fremont, California, its main car assembly…
