Tesla China shows Giga Shanghai’s ‘Alien Dreadnought’ in action

(Credit: Tesla/Weibo)

Tesla’s “Alien Dreadnought” goal for production is being highlighted after the company shared a new video of Giga Shanghai’s Model 3 production lines in China.

The video was shared by the company’s official page on Chinese social media outlet Weibo and shows a timelapse of Model 3 production lines at the Giga Shanghai production facility. The manufacturing plant has been operational since late 2019, and Chinese citizens have been receiving their all-electric sedans since January 2020.

The company’s post stated, “Production, assembly, quality inspection, waiting for delivery. The rhythm is orderly step on the point, one word: Steady!”

Credit: Tesla | Weibo

The company’s focus on manufacturing was highlighted during the most recent Quarterly Earnings Call in July, but Tesla has focused on production efficiency for many years in an attempt to keep up with increasing demand.

In 2016, CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to turn the Fremont facility into an “alien dreadnought,” which would increase automation in the plant. “Our internal code name for the factory, the machine that builds the machine, is the alien dreadnought,” Musk said on the call. “[When] our factory looks like an alien dreadnought, then we know it’s probably right,” Musk said.

The idea came before the production of the Model 3 began, and it was a process that Musk knew would take several years to complete. Version 1 of the alien dreadnought was expected by Summer 2018, but the idea ultimately never came to fruition as Tesla was battling “production hell” in the Northern California plant.

The goal was to increase the efficiency of manufacturing. While Tesla has managed to do that throughout the past few years, the company has not taken its focus off of improving the manufacturing process even more. During the Q2 2020 Earnings Call, Musk stated that the company was seeking talented individuals to help improve production efficiency, which has evidently made its way to China.

Giga Shanghai has increased its annual production rate to 200,000 vehicles a year. Currently, Tesla produces the Model 3 at the factory but is working to expand the facility to make way for the manufacturing of the Model Y.

Tesla has established itself as the best selling EV manufacturer in China in just eight short months because of the popularity of the Model 3 sedan. Tesla has been able to keep up with the demand of the Model 3 through improved manufacturing processes, which has alleviated delivery times and allowed the company to grow in the largest automotive market in the world.

Watch Tesla Giga Shanghai’s production lines in a new video below.

Joey Klender: Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his time at TESLARATI, Joey has broken several big stories, including the first images of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the imminent release of the 4680 Model Y through EPA certification, and several expansions to the Lucid AMP-1 factory in Arizona, to name a few. His stories have been featured in several publications, including Yahoo! Finance, Fox News, CNET, and Seeking Alpha. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
Related Post
Disqus Comments Loading...