"Both Berlin and Austin factories are
gigantic money furnaces right now. Okay? It's really like a giant roaring
sound, which is the sound of money on fire," Musk said in an interview
with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, an official Tesla recognised club, in Austin,
Texas, on May 31.
The club divided its interview with Musk
into three parts, the last of which was released on Wednesday.
Musk said Tesla's Texas factory produces a
"tiny" number of cars because of challenges in boosting production of
its new "4680" batteries and as tools to make its conventional 2170
batteries are "stuck in port in China."
The Shanghai COVID shutdowns in China
"were very, very difficult," he said. The shutdown affected car
production not only at Tesla's Shanghai factory, but also at its California
plant, which uses some vehicle parts made in China.
"The past two years have been an
absolute nightmare of supply chain interruptions, one thing after another, and
we're not out of it yet," Musk said.
Tesla's overwhelming concern, he said, is
"How do we keep the factories operating so we can pay people and not go
bankrupt?"
Musk said earlier this week that a 10
percent cut in salaried staff at Tesla will happen over three months. The
world's richest man also said the US recession was more likely than not.
Tesla earlier this year started production
at the factories in Berlin and Texas, both of which are critical to the growth
ambitions of the top electric car maker.
Musk said he expected Tesla would start
production of its Cybertruck electric pickup trucks, which has been delayed, in
mid-2023. © Reuters