Musk Says Tesla's 2018 Model 3 Automation Push Hurt Productivity

2 articles · Updated · TechRadar · Jun 18

At a 2018 shareholder meeting, Elon Musk said Tesla's Model 3 production problems stemmed from “excessive automation,” which failed to boost output as intended.
Final assembly exposed the weakness: robots struggled with flexible trim pieces and hoses, tasks Musk said still favored human dexterity and judgment.
Musk later reinforced that view publicly, saying Tesla had over-automated parts of the line instead of matching machines to tasks they could reliably handle.
The episode still shadows Tesla's robotics ambitions as it pushes Optimus toward mass production with a targeted $25,000 price, despite lingering questions over real-world dexterity and reasoning.