Tesla Forcing Buyers To Choose Model Y In Black Or White

Despite the ongoing chip crisis and supply chain issues, things seem to be on the mend for Tesla. The Berlin Gigafactory recently celebrated a milestone, producing 1,000 examples of the Model Y in a single week. But according to a report from Germany’s Automobilwoche, the Grunheide-based facility is not without its challenges.

Interestingly, the plant is only producing examples of the Model Y painted in Pearl White Multicoat or Solid Black. Customers who have opted for the aforementioned shades can expect to take delivery of their vehicles in October, something that can’t be said for other colors. As reported, Model Ys specified in red, silver, or blue will be sourced from the Shanghai factory and are only expected to arrive from March 2023 onwards.

To produce half a million vehicles per annum at the Berlin facility, Tesla is still a long way from reaching its goals. However, the plant will take a brief 12-day break this month to improve manufacturing efficiency in order to meet the incredible demand for Tesla products.

Expected improvements include making sure vehicle bodies spend just 45 seconds at production stations; currently, vehicles are spending twice the amount of time at each stage of the process. Once these optimizations have been made, employees will work between three separate shifts. This includes the paint shop, which has been a source of problems since Berlin production kicked off.

The paint facility has previously been described as the “world’s most advanced” and CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla models will soon be available in a variety of attractive shades.

Earlier this year, Musk expressed concern over the long wait times facing customers. “Currently, the lead time for ordering a Tesla is ridiculously long… our problem is not demand, it is production,” he shared. While the improvements made to production methods at the German facility will help, Automobilwoche notes the Berlin and Texas factories contributed just 6,000 cars to the company’s total production.

These numbers should increase as the months roll by and, importantly, supply chain issues fade away. Rival Volkswagen seems to be benefitting from easing industry problems and is poised to dominate global EV production if certain analysts are to be believed. However, we don’t see Tesla giving up its crown without a fight.