We’re finally a real car maker! Musk’s relief as Tesla hits target

TESLA has finally made good on a pledge to build 5,000 Model 3 electric cars per week.

The 5,000th vehicle rolled off the production line early on Sunday morning, hours after the electric car maker’s chief executive Elon Musk’s midnight goal.

It came after a massive push at the firm to meet the deadline, with staff working long hours and Musk sleeping at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California.

The company even pitched a tent in its car park to house an extra production line as part of its lastminute efforts.

Emailing employees afterwards, Musk, 47, wrote: ‘What an incredible job by an amazing team.

‘We either found a way or, by will and inventiveness, created entirely new solutions that were thought impossible.

‘Intense in tents. Transporting entire production lines across the world in massive cargo planes.

Whatever. It worked. I think we just became a real car company.’

But Dave Sullivan, of market research firm Autopacific, said: ‘Reaching it is one thing, consistently producing 5,000 per week with outstanding quality is another.

‘I don’t think producing 5,000 once is anything to get excited about until it’s repeatable.’

Tesla’s goal of building 5,000 Model 3s per week is seen as crucial to it becoming profitable. The

car is the first the company has aimed at the mass market, with a starting price of about £27,000.

Nearly half a million reservations have been made but a series of production delays have meant the car maker has struggled to meet demand.

Musk claimed Tesla would next aim to make 6,000 Model 3s per week by next month.

Tesla shares fell on Wall Street last night, closing down 2.3pc, or $7.88, at $335.07.