According to sources familiar with the situation, Tesla Inc. is planning to begin double shifts at its Shanghai production as soon as mid-May, as personnel and part shortages are expected to alleviate.
In April, the US electric carmaker's China facility was closed for three weeks while Shanghai was placed under lockdown in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19 in the community. The facility reopened in late April under a so-called closed loop system in which staff reside on-site and are evaluated on a regular basis. Workers in the system worked 12-hour shifts six days a week.
Tesla is now looking to rehire additional workers to keep production lines operating around the clock, according to people familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified because the facts are confidential. Prior to the pandemic-induced pause on March 28, Tesla employees in Shanghai worked three shifts covering 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
According to the people, the Shanghai factory's management committee is attempting to determine how feasible it is to bring more workers back, canvassing staff willingness to leave their residential compounds and collating address information to get a better picture of where people are located in the city.
Executives are also considering daily door-to-door shuttle buses, which would allow some workers to return home after their shifts rather of sleeping at the facility, according to sources.
A Tesla official stated that there were no more updates on the factory's condition as of now.
Meanwhile, Tesla's Shanghai facility, which normally produces roughly 2,100 vehicles each day, is still plagued by component shortages. According to another individual familiar with the situation, Tesla only has inventory for little over two weeks based on its current closed-loop timetable, and logistics are a huge issue for many other parts.
According to the company's China website, prospective clients may expect a wait period of 20 to 24 weeks for a Model 3, up from four to six weeks typically.
On Thursday, Shanghai reported 4,024 local asymptomatic Covid cases and 245 confirmed infections. While instances have been decreasing, the city has stated that it will continue to mass test residents and will only remove the lockdown after community transmission has been reduced to zero.
While officials are urging enterprises to restore production, China said last month that it will provide support to more than 600 chosen companies to help them begin manufacturing activities, the reality on the ground may be more complicated.