Tesla Factory Tour and SpaceX Factory with Elon Musk.

This Tesla factory tour is with Elon Musk and is really worth the watch. This Tesla factory tour has been on our website for quite sometime. The SpaceX Spacefactory tour is fairly new. Here are some key highlights from the Tesla tour:

1. Production Challenges & Model 3 Ramp-Up

At the time, Tesla was in the middle of ramping up production for the Model 3, which was crucial for the company’s financial health and future. Musk openly discussed the challenges of “production hell”—the intense struggle to scale up Model 3 production to meet demand.

Automation vs. Humans:
Musk admitted that Tesla had over-automated certain processes, which ironically slowed production down. He explained that while robots are efficient for some tasks, human workers were still essential for assembly, especially for complex tasks requiring dexterity.

2. Tesla’s Gigafactory & Battery Innovation

While the tour took place in Fremont, Musk talked about Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada, where battery cells were being mass-produced. He emphasized the importance of battery production in scaling up electric vehicle adoption.

Tesla’s custom battery design gave it an edge over competitors, with a focus on efficiency and cost reduction.
He hinted at future advancements in battery tech—something that later materialized in the 4680 battery cell announcement in 2020.

3. Vehicle Production & The Assembly Line

The tour showcased Tesla’s assembly line, with robots and workers working in tandem. Musk pointed out:

The Giga Press wasn’t yet in use in 2018, but Tesla was already working to streamline its car frames.
The importance of vertical integration—Tesla produces many of its own components, reducing reliance on suppliers.

4. The Future of Tesla (According to Musk in 2018)

During the tour, Musk shared bold predictions about Tesla’s future:

Self-Driving Technology: He believed Tesla was on track to achieve full self-driving capability with existing hardware.
Affordability Goals: He discussed plans to make EVs more affordable, though admitted it would take time.
Model Y and Roadster 2.0: While not a focus of the tour, Musk briefly mentioned Tesla’s upcoming vehicles.

5. Classic Elon Musk Moments

Throughout the tour, Musk was in his element—casually dressed, hands-on with engineers, and explaining things in his signature mix of deep technical detail and big-picture vision.

At one point, he joked about the overly complex “alien dreadnought” factory, acknowledging that automation had gone too far in some areas. His ability to adapt and pivot Tesla’s strategy in real time was evident.

Added Bonus: First Look Inside SpaceX’s Starfactory w/ Elon Musk

Elon Musk and Leadership Quotes

“Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time. Sometimes it will be ahead, other times it will be behind. But brand is simply a collective impression some have about a product.” ~Elon Musk.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ~John Quincy Adams
“We believe the Tesla Semi will deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo, while increasing safety…” ~Elon Musk
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” ~Andrew Carnegie
“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” ~Elon Musk.
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” ~General Dwight Eisenhower
“With the Model 3, a future compact SUV and new kind of pick up truck, we plan to address most of the consumer market.” ~Elon Musk
“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” ~Vince Lombardi
“It is a mistake to hire huge numbers of people to get a complicated job done. Numbers will never compensate for talent in getting the right answer (two people who don’t know something are no better than one), will tend to slow down progress, and will make the task incredibly expensive.” ~Elon Musk.