Yesterday, it was revealed that Tesla intended to stop Model 3 production for up to five days. The reason given was to improve automation. However, a letter sent by Elon Musk to employees reveals the real reason for the pause in production: Tesla is upgrading the plant for round the clock production from next week.

As Electrek reports, in the letter Musk confirmed that Model 3 production had reached 2,000 per week, which is double that attained in January. The goal is to reach 5,000 per week no later than June 30, but in order to achieve that and allow for a margin of error, Musk is setting the new goal of 6,000 per week by that date.

Going from 2,000 to 6,000 in just over two months would be very optimistic if not for the fact Tesla is also introducing another shift to the production line, meaning the Model 3 will be manufactured 24/7 in Fremont. Tesla's general assembly, body, and paint teams will all add a third shift and require more people. Tesla is expecting to employ an extra 400 people a week for several weeks across its entire operation to help support that.

The letter goes on to talk about improving the build precision of the Model 3 to exceptional standards and how Tesla needs to become profitable. With that in mind, "we will be far more rigorous about expenditures" and all contracts with third-parties will be reviewed. Musk describes the contractor situation within Tesla as being like a "Russian nesting doll" and that some perform "worse than a drunken sloth." So expect some big changes on that front soon.

There's a suggestion of one more pause in production during May for further upgrades, but beyond that Model 3 production just got serious. 6,000 by the end of June does indeed look achievable if 24/7 production works without a hitch. That also means the dual motor version could still happen in July.