Tesla will halt production at its factory in Fremont, California in an attempt to fix its Model 3 assembly line.
Reuters reports that the stoppage is scheduled for May 26-31. The electric automaker had previously warned of 10 days of shutdowns this quarter to fix bottlenecks that are slowing Model 3 production.
Elon Musk has admitted that an over-reliance on robots has complicated the task of curing these bottlenecks. The outspoken chief executive says the upgrades to the production line will allow Tesla to build 6000 Model 3s per week by the end of June. Earlier this week, Musk told employees that a rate of 3500 units per week could be hit as soon as this week.
This isn’t the first time Tesla has stopped production at its Fremont plant to work on upgrades. In fact, the facility was briefly shut down in April and before that, closed for a handful of days in February.
In Tesla’s bid to meet demand for the Model 3, it is now operating three shifts on general assembly for the entry-level electric sedan. Those assembling the external shell of the car are working in two 12-hour shifts.
With over 400,000 pre-orders for the Model 3 and a selection of new variants around the corner, Tesla has a long way to go before proving it can be a volume manufacturer.