No punctured cells were ever used in Model 3 vehicles in any way. In February 2018, a robot damaged some modules being produced at the Gigafactory, and a team was involved in identifying the scope of the damage. After conducting extensive testing, they threw out the punctured cells, confirmed the safety of the rest, and only then returned just those to the production line. If there was even a sliver of doubt about whether a cell could pose a safety concern, it was not used in any vehicle. Notably, there have been zero battery safety issues in any Model 3.
Mr. Tripp grossly exaggerated the value and amount of scrap material at the Gigafactory. Relying on the internal data that he hacked from Tesla’s manufacturing operations system, Tripp incorrectly stated that Tesla has generated nearly $150 million in scrap at the Gigafactory in 2018. That number is wrong by more than a factor of two.
Here’s the email exchange that was provided to the Post by Musk:Mr. Tripp also admitted to Tesla’s investigators that he does not actually know the value of the scrap that he assigned dollar values to. He just guessed.
Tripp (8:57 am PT): “Don’t worry, you have what’s coming to you for the lies you have told to the public and investors.”
Musk (9:42 am PT): “Threatening me only makes it worse for you”
Tripp (9:59 am PT): “I never made a threat. I simply told you that you have what’s coming. Thank you for this gift!!!!”
Musk (10:00 am PT): “You should be ashamed of yourself for framing other people. You’re a horrible human being.”
Tripp (10:03 am PT): “I NEVER ‘framed’ anyone else of even insinuated anyone else as being involved in my production of documents of your MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WASTE, Safety concerns, lying to investors/the WORLD. Putting cars on the road with safety issues is being a horrible human being!”
Musk (10:28 am PT): “There are literally [no] injuries with Model 3. It is by far the safest car in the world for any midsize vehicle. And of course a company with billions of dollars in product is going to have millions of dollars in scrap. This is not news. However, betraying your word of honor, breaking the deal you had when Tesla gave you a job and framing your colleagues are wrong and some come with legal penalties. So it goes. Be well.”