Tick, tick, tick – the clock is counting down to Tesla’s launch of the Model S. It is just a little over a week away, meaning there is one more iteration of Tesla’s “Inside Tesla” blog series left. The series begun at the first Tuesday of the month, and each week they’ve included videos dedicated to certain parts of the Model S manufacturing process. Last week’s post was a big update, with the announcement of the “Get Amped Model S Tour.”
It is a test drive program that aims to offer 5,000 test drives over 45 days in major cities in the United States. The first test drives begin next week at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California. All 10 colors of the car will be shown off at the event, and a Tesla Product Specialist will be on hand to answer questions. Reservation holders are going to be invited first to the event, so if you’re on the list Tesla says to prepare to receive an e-mail about it soon.
Regarding this week’s video, it focuses on the Paint Center. Tesla says it uses “some of the highest quality processes available to the automotive industry today.” The process is exhaustive; first the car gets a pretreatment bath that prepares the aluminum for its first layer. Secondly, the Model S is dipped into a 75,000 gallon tank where an electro-coating solution that enhances the appearance of the pain is applied.
Following this the car goes through a 350 degree oven that aims to provide an extra degree of corrosion protection. After this, “highly-skilled” craftsman apply a sealer for quietness and waterproofing. This is all before the paint is even on the car. Following this, the Model S gets a primer coat, then a base coat and a clear coat. Tesla isn’t messing around – each one of these coats is applied to every surface of the car’s body – including doors, hood and liftgate. We love the attention to detail that goes on with the build process at Tesla. Also new this week is a “Charging Model S” page that aims to educate buyers and potential buyers alike. Stay tuned for the live webcast next week!
