Netease Technology News June 3, according to foreign media reports, an anonymous Tesla employee revealed that a company's solar panel plant in Buffalo, New York, an employee of the new coronavirus test was positive. This is the fourth employee known by Tesla to be infected with the new coronavirus, but it is also the first employee to be infected with the new coronavirus since the company reopened its US factory in May this year. Before the plant was shut down in March this year, a new coronavirus test for a Panasonic employee who worked with Tesla to build the plant was also positive.

A letter from the company to local officials showed that Tesla quietly reopened the New York factory on May 19, after New York State gave the green light to the Buffalo area. However, Tesla has not yet resumed its full production capacity, and this situation will continue for some time. Tesla told government officials that the company allowed 984 "full-time outsourcing employees" to take unpaid leave in April due to the factory's shutdown. The factory will now continue to operate with fewer than 500 full-time employees.

Previously, Tesla had told New York State officials that before the epidemic spread, the company would provide more than 1500 jobs, but Tesla now requires the state government to give another year to achieve employment goals so that it does not have to A fine of $41.2 million was paid. New York State said it was reviewing Tesla's application.

After Tesla's factories in California and Nevada resumed work, Tesla has already recalled employees without paid leave, so it is unclear why the company has not yet recalled employees in the New York factory.

According to reports, Panasonic North America Solar’s business at the local plant will not last long. In February of this year, Panasonic announced that it would end its business at the Buffalo plant and informed 400 employees that their work could only continue until the end of May. However, due to the spread of the epidemic that caused the factory to shut down, Panasonic will let some employees work until the end of June to complete the solar panel order, and then completely withdraw in September. Tesla said that these workers can apply for reassignment to other factories to continue working. For example, go to the battery department of Tesla Nevada Super Factory.

Tesla is not the only company that has found employees infected with the new coronavirus after resuming work. All three Detroit automakers have employees who tested positive for the new coronavirus, as did many companies in the food industry.

After California issued an order of "refuge in place" in March, Tesla CEO Elon Musk initially tried to maintain the operation of Tesla's California plant and was later forced to shut down. In May, Musk reopened the factory in violation of local orders.

Tesla is currently taking a series of measures to ensure that the Super Factory in Fremont, California can continue to operate. This week Tesla issued a certification letter to factory employees. If they were stopped by the police because of the riot, they should show the corresponding certification. The letter stated that the local police station confirmed that because the work was "important," Tesla employees could "continue to work at the Tesla Fremont factory during curfew hours."

But Musk and Tesla did not invest the same amount of energy in the operation of the Buffalo plant. Tesla manufactures super charging stations at the Buffalo plant, but the plant’s main products are solar panels and solar roofs. Musk only briefly mentioned in April that the company “has obtained permits and installation capabilities for the Solar Roof business before the plant was shut down due to the outbreak.

In March this year, Musk also said that Tesla may use the Buffalo plant to produce ventilator for the treatment of patients with new coronavirus during the factory shutdown, but the company finally focused on the purchase of medical equipment. (Chenchen)

Source: NetEase Technology Report, translated by Google Translate