Tesla is Seventeen (2019)set to resume production at its Phase 1 battery assembly facility within the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in September to ensure production capacity for its upcoming revamped Model 3, according to an August 22 report by Chinese publication 36Kr. “Currently, some workers are returning to the production line, while others are not going back. It’s not clear to what extent the Phase 1 battery production line will ultimately be restored,” a source familiar with the matter told 36Kr. In early July, Tesla laid off workers at the assembly line and outsourced a portion of battery pack manufacturing work to external suppliers to control increasing costs, as the report stated. Currently, the US carmaker is providing an insurance incentive of RMB 8,000 ($1,098) for orders of the current Model 3, and an additional RMB 3,500 ($481) discount to customers referred by current Tesla owners. “Our primary task now is to sell the discounted Model 3 and Model Y. However, many customers insist on waiting for the new model, even if it’s more expensive,” Tesla sales staff told 36Kr. [36Kr, in Chinese]
