--- title: "Elon Musk Says He’ll Be Working on the Tesla Assembly Line Today" description: "In two emails sent to all US-based employees, Tesla outlined their plans to get production back on track. 30 percent of the regular workforce will return." date: "2020-05-08" modified: "2020-05-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-working-tesla-assembly-line-today" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says He’ll Be Working on the Tesla Assembly Line Today ![In two emails sent to all US-based employees, Tesla outlined their plans to get production back on track. 30 percent of the regular workforce will return.]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## The Reopening In a pair of emails blasted out to all US-based employees, Elon Musk-led carmaker Tesla outlined its plans to get production back on track. Around 30 percent of the regular workforce will return starting today, [according to *CNBC*](). "In light of Governor Newsom’s statement earlier today approving manufacturing in California, we will aim to restart production in Fremont tomorrow afternoon," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, according to a shorter second email. "I will be on the line personally helping wherever I can." ## Sheltering in Place The early reopening, which comes days after Musk and musician Claire “Grimes” Boucher [had a baby](), is a dicey subject since California Governor Gavin Newsom [announced]() that manufacturing could reopen in the state only Thursday evening. But that reopening won't override county-level rules, according to *CNBC*. That means it's still unclear if Tesla opening the doors at its factory in Fremont, California would be in violation of any shelter-in-place orders. ## Difficult Times The company says it won't penalize anybody for not getting back to work. "However, if you feel uncomfortable coming back to work at this time, please do not feel obligated to do so. These are difficult times, so thanks very much for working hard to make Tesla successful!" Musk wrote. Tesla also described an "enhanced" reopening strategy in the longer communications email. Any employee in defiance of these protocols would be sent home and be put on unpaid leave, it said. **READ MORE:** [Tesla’s Fremont plant will resume ‘limited operations’ on Friday]() \[*CNBC*\] **More on the factory:** *[SHRUGGING OFF PANDEMIC, TESLA PREPARES TO RESTART CA FACTORY]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()