Cars pass by the Tesla Inc. Gigafactory 2, which is also known as RiverBend, a joint venture with Panasonic to produce solar panels and roof tiles in Buffalo, New York, U.S., August 2, 2018. Picture taken August 2, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Tesla Inc’s production of solar roof tiles has been delayed by assembly-line problems at its new publicly subsidised factory and difficulties producing a product that satisfies the aesthetic demands of CEO Elon Musk, eight former and current employees of both companies told Reuters.
Repeated hold-ups since the Buffalo, New York plant opened last year have forced Tesla's partner in the joint venture, Panasonic, to seek other buyers for the components it had built to sell to Tesla, according to a Panasonic employee, a former Panasonic employee and a former Tesla employee. The issues have also rattled the faith of state officials in Tesla's ability to deliver on investment and employment promises it made in exchange for US$750mil (RM3bil) in state subsidies.
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