Tesla CEO Elon Musk is actually considering letting owners build some parts of Tesla automobiles, the entrepreneur revealed on social media.
Elon Musk Considers Offering Factory Tours
Amid Tesla's efforts to ramp up the production of its Model 3 sedan, Musk took to Twitter to reveal that he was thinking about letting car owners participate in the assembly of a Tesla vehicle.
However, it is not an attempt to bolster production, but for car owners to enjoy a unique experience. Replying to aTwitter post about a Tesla staffer who saw Musk getting his hands dirty on the production line, the billionaire had this to say:
Was thinking of offering an extended Tesla factory tour option where you could help build part of a car & understand how they come together. I know it would have been super fun for me when I was a kid (or now). — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2018
Tesla already offers tours of its 500,000 square meter factory in Fremont, California, allowing Tesla owners to see how the electric cars are manufactured. Now, Musk is taking things to the next level by giving customers the opportunity to be a part of the building process.
Can Owners Build Their Own Tesla Cars?
Electrek's Frederic Lambert messaged Musk with the suggestion that instead of building just about any Tesla vehicle, owners would enjoy the experience more if they could build their own vehicle. Musk replied by saying that that would be "tricky" to arrange but did not rule out the possibility.
However, as Musk pointed out, it would be challenging to schedule a Tesla owner's visit with their vehicle entering a particular stage of the production process where the experience-lacking car owners can be allowed to work on the automobiles.
The Tesla Tourism Bill
This isn't the first time Musk has proposed the idea of turning Tesla manufacturing plants into tourist attractions. In 2016, Musk tried to lobby a "Tesla Tourism" bill with the aim to spur "industrial tourism." The company wanted to encourage customers to make a trip to the automaker's Fremont factory and take delivery of their new Tesla vehicles without having to pay California's sales tax.
The point was to give out-of-state car owners a California tax waiver since California generally has a higher tax rate. Musk wanted customers to visit the factory, pick up their car, take a tour, and make a whole experience out of it. However, the Tesla Tourism bill was overturned and instead replaced with a measure to rescue a housing development in Santa Clara.
