AI illustration: Model 3 5,000/week by Dec 2017
TeslaCars & Energy
Delivered · Late

Model 3 production hell: 5,000 a week by Dec 2017?

When did Tesla reach 5,000 Model 3s a week?

On July 3, 2017, Elon Musk first promised Model 3 production at 5,000 a week for Dec 2017, then moved the date 3 times. It happened, but 1 day late. Verdict as of October 26, 2026: delivered late.

goalposts: Dec 2017 → late Q1 2018 (Nov 1 2017 call) → end of Q2 2018 (Feb 2018 call) → Jun 2018 · moved 3×
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“Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec”
— Elon Musk · Jul 3, 2017 · Musk tweet, Jul 2 2017 ↗
See his original post on XLoads Elon's actual tweet, right here.
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What actually happened

Tesla missed its December 2017 target of ~20,000 Model 3s per month (5,000/week); it built only about 793 in the final week of 2017. The 5,000-per-week rate was first reached in the last week of June 2018 (5,031 units), roughly six months after the original deadline. Green Car Reports ↗

The Progression

2 STATEMENTS · ONE CLAIM

Elon Musk first made this promise on Jul 3, 2017, with a deadline of Jun 30, 2018. He has said it 2 times on the record. None of them moved the date. It happened on Jul 1, 2018, 1 day late against the first deadline.

Jul 3, 2017
First promise · due Jun 30, 2018
“Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec” · Musk tweet, Jul 2 2017 ↗
Delivered · Late · 1 day late
Feb 7, 2018
Restated · due Jun 30, 2018
“As for Model 3 production, we continue to make significant progress every day, and we're targeting a weekly production rate of 2,500 vehicles by the end of March and 5,000 by the end of Q2.” · Tesla Q4 2017 earnings call transcript (Seeking Alpha, archived at archive.org), Feb 7 2018 — Musk's opening remarks ↗
Delivered · on time
Jul 1, 2018
Delivered · Late — 1 day late. Tesla missed its December 2017 target of ~20,000 Model 3s per month (5,000/week); it built only about 793 in the final week of 2017. The 5,000-per-week rate was first reached in the last week of June 2018 (5,031 units), roughly six months after the original deadline. Green Car Reports ↗
Today · Oct 26, 2026
Verdict on the claim: Delivered · Late · 1 day late. 2 statements, goalpost moved 3×.

In a July 2017 tweet, Musk wrote, 'Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec' — about 5,000 cars per week. Actual December 2017 output ran at roughly 202 cars per week. Tesla eventually hit the 5,000-per-week rate in July 2018, about seven months late, making this one delivered late.

Every statement, dated

2 STATEMENTS · AS OF OCTOBER 26, 2026
Every statement on this page, oldest first. Outcome is how each statement was graded on its own.
Date saidWhat he saidDeadline givenSourceOutcome
“Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec”Jun 30, 2018Musk tweet, Jul 2 2017Delivered · Late · 1 day late
“As for Model 3 production, we continue to make significant progress every day, and we're targeting a weekly production rate of 2,500 vehicles by the…”Jun 30, 2018Tesla Q4 2017 earnings call…Delivered · on time
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Receipts

LAST CHECKED 2026-10-11

Questions and answers

What exactly did Elon Musk say, and when?

On July 3, 2017, Elon Musk said: “Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec” (source). That set the date at Dec 2017.

How many times did the date move?

Elon Musk has moved the date 3 times. He first set it for Dec 2017; the last date he gave was Jun 2018.

Did it happen?

Yes, but late. This prediction came true on July 1, 2018, 1 day late against his first deadline of Dec 2017. Tesla missed its December 2017 target of ~20,000 Model 3s per month (5,000/week); it built only about 793 in the final week of 2017. The 5,000-per-week rate was first reached in the last week of June 2018 (5,031 units), roughly six months after the original… (Green Car Reports)

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Tesla’s record

Delivered
85
62% of resolved claims delivered.
Missed
52
Deadline passed, still no-show.
Still open
36
On the clock now. All 173 Tesla claims →

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