Tesla Reopened
So, Tesla restarted their operations on last Monday despite California still enforcing the local lockdown order in Alameda County. As the only factory in the US, it is understandable that Elon Musk is pushing for them to be open, despite the fact officials stated over the weekend that it must remain closed.
Bold move. Tesla also sued the county over the weekend for not allowing them to reopen. While I’m sure the county and the electric car manufacturer are trying to come to a fair compromise, Musk did have his employees come back to restart production. There are claims that the company has taken into account all safety and health procedures and that Musk himself will also be on the front line. He followed up his statements by sending out a tweet stating that if anyone were to be arrested “I ask that it only be me.” One question, if any of his employees still felt unsafe to return – what then? Do they have the option to stay home or are they forced to work before they are ready?
Other manufacturers such as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota and a few others had plans on reopening their factories earlier this month, only to cancel due to the continued shutdown orders. A couple of factories are open; Mercedes Benz has their plant in Alabama, along with BMW in South Carolina. This week Toyota and Honda should resume production, and by next week General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler will follow – if allowed – and will start production on their most popular models, mainly trucks. Tesla is currently the only manufacturer that is defying county orders by opening earlier than is “permitted.”
I guess the question is, is he right or wrong in doing so? On one hand, if they are following safety measures to ensure the health of their employees, I don’t see a major issue. Maybe going against the rules isn’t the best way to do it, but he (along with other business owners) want the right to open if they are truly ready for it. On the other hand, taking employees thoughts and concerns into account are also important. Some may be ready to come back to work, others may feel it is not yet safe to do so. What is truly the right thing? Yes, we do want to go back to work, but we also want to be safe. It is true that demand for cars is building back up and inventory needs to be replenished so customers can purchase them. People, like myself, want the peace of mind to have access to their own mode of transportation, and they are coming out to buy. As much as I trust myself, my health and the health of those I surround myself with, I don’t necessarily know what the next person is doing. I am comfortable interacting with certain people, but that is just me. Others are not comfortable interacting with anyone. What do you think? Was he right or wrong?