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Tesla announced it will join other companies in temporarily shutting down its operations as a safety precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the company will still proceed with vehicle deliveries and devised a process that prevents customers and employees from making contact.
Tesla announces ‘touchless deliveries’
March would have been a significant period for the company as it fulfilled the promise of delivering the Tesla Model Y across North America. This is a milestone for the company considering that the electric crossover SUV was initially planned to be released in late 2020.
Deliveries of the Tesla Model Y has started this week, as previously reported. However, the non-contact delivery process to be practiced by the company is not limited to customers who purchased a Model Y. “In many locations, we are in the process of implementing ‘touchless deliveries’ so customers can continue to take delivery of their vehicle in a seamless and safe way,” Tesla said in a statement.
The touchless delivery makes use of Tesla’s over-the-air technology that allows drivers to access certain vehicle controls through their devices. Using this feature, customers will be able to unlock through the Tesla app their new car that will be delivered to a designated parking lot.
Upon receiving new Tesla cars, customers often have other papers to sign. In Tesla’s touchless delivery, customers will still have to accomplish this process. Relevant documents will be placed inside the delivered vehicle. After signing, the papers can be turned over to a designated drop-off location before leaving the parking area where customers received their vehicle.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been strongly recommending people to maintain social distancing along with frequent hand sanitizing to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. This explains Tesla’s introduction of touchless deliveries to minimize person-to-person contact.
Tesla factories in the US to shut down temporarily
After consultations with state and federal authorities, Tesla finally announced they will shutting down productions of vehicles in their factories across the U.S. This applies to Tesla factories located in Fremont after the March 23 workday, in New York, and Nevada. Based on the same statement, Tesla is only going to shutdown vehicle productions while it will maintain “basic operations” related to energy services, maintaining charging infrastructure, and production of supplies.
