# How can I get a tour of the Freemont Factory?



## Mike

My buddy and I are sketching out this years road trip (annual road trip in his '66 Lincoln convertible).

I'd like to do an "open to the public" tour of the factory in Fremont. 

Do public tours exist for the factory in Fremont? If so, what is the best way to set it up?

We also plan to do a drive by of the gigafactory. 

Does anyone have any pointers for that as well?

Even if there are no public tours of the factory in California, we still plan to drive thru the area, searching for the odd Model 3 test mule in the wild.

Aim is early to mid May.

Thanks. Cheers. Mike.


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## MelindaV

Mike said:


> My buddy and I are sketching out this years road trip (annual road trip in his '66 Lincoln convertible).
> 
> I'd like to do an "open to the public" tour of the factory in Fremont.
> 
> Do public tours exist for the factory in Fremont? If so, what is the best way to set it up?
> 
> We also plan to do a drive by of the gigafactory.
> 
> Does anyone have any pointers for that as well?
> 
> Even if there are no public tours of the factory in California, we still plan to drive thru the area, searching for the odd Model 3 test mule in the wild.
> 
> Aim is early to mid May.
> 
> Thanks. Cheers. Mike.


from a post on TMC, it looks like tours are currently only being offered to current owners but you can try to reach out to Tesla at 888-518-3752 and see if that's still the case


> Currently, we are only providing tours to our Roadster, Model S, and Model X owners. Please reach out to us once you have configured your Model 3 and it has entered production. We are extremely proud of our revolutionary factory and would love to show it off to you! Again, thank you and please stay in touch.


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## Daliman

The summer after I get my Model 3 I would love to do a roadtrip and visit Gigafactory 2, then 1, then Freemont and then Spacex (biggest thrill for me) trying to time it with a launch at Vandenburg. Difficult for operating factories but I think this could be a revenue stream if Tesla wants it to be.


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## Mike

MelindaV said:


> from a post on TMC, it looks like tours are currently only being offered to current owners but you can try to reach out to Tesla at 888-518-3752 and see if that's still the case


OK, thank you.


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## Michael Russo

@Mike , funny you asked the question I was just asking myself after planning my trip to the West Coast today late July which could have me in the area... keep us posted as to our chances as reservation holders... In any case, like you I'll drive by and by then I think there could be more cars on the street!!


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## Mike

Michael Russo said:


> In any case, like you I'll drive by and by then I think there could be more cars on the street!!


You bet! I'm really hoping to see something, by chance, on the streets by mid May.


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## KennethK

Michael Russo said:


> @Mike , funny you asked the question I was just asking myself after planning my trip to the West Coast today late July which could have me in the area... keep us posted as to our chances as reservation holders... In any case, like you I'll drive by and by then I think there could be more cars on the street!!


By then, you can drive through the Fremont assembly plant's parking lot to see some!


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## TrevP

I'm in the early stages of talking to a fellow Model 3 owner and Tesla employee in the US about organizing a road strip with our Model 3s. Timing will depend of course on delivery dates etc... but here's the proposed route:










A tour of the factory, of course, is part of the plan.


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## MelindaV

TrevP said:


> I'm in the early stages of talking to a fellow Model 3 owner and Tesl employee in the US about organizing a road strip with our Model 3s. Timing will depend of course on delivery dates etc... but here's the proposed route:
> 
> View attachment 1081
> 
> 
> A tour of the factory, of course, is part of the plan.


all good things should begin in Ptld


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## TrevP

I think the goal is to hit some major cities along the way and gather up more owners to make the trek. Doesn't make sense for everyone to drive to point A.


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## MelindaV

besides there are multiple point A's... 
I can tell you the longest day of my entire life was when I thought I would drive home out of the bay area on Highway 1 & connect with 101 up the coast instead of I-5. It took me longer to get TO the Oregon border (about 13 hours) than the entire drive would have if taking I-5 (typically about 11 hrs including a few stops for Oakland to Portland). Plus was probably the only time I've been car sick while driving!


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## Michael Russo

TrevP said:


> I'm in the early stages of talking to a fellow Model 3 owner and Tesl employee in the US about organizing a road strip with our Model 3s. Timing will depend of course on delivery dates etc... but here's the proposed route:
> 
> View attachment 1081
> 
> 
> A tour of the factory, of course, is part of the plan.


Looks like a drive! More North than my RV loop from Atlanta to San Francisco & back (!) yet not many more miles... particularly since I first need to connect Detroit to Akron, OH to WV, then Asheville, NC and Athens, GA before ATL in a Suburban (yep... family of 6 + luggage !! 
By the way, _how did you sketch this on the map like that... _Trying to do the same for our US trip? Thanks for guidance, in pm if you wish,Trev!


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## Mike

Well, we've sharpened the planning pencils and our insane cross country drive to see the Fremont factory and Gigafactory is on.

Yep, going to leave the Detroit area the last weekend in April, then drive to Memphis (to see Elvis) before heading west 2000 miles to see the Tesla factory.

Just two insane Tesla fans, in a 51 year old convertible, heading west for a look-see of the factory around the 8th or 9th of May.

If anyone here is part of a Tesla club in the Fremont area, we'd like attend one of your local events or simply get together for a supper and talk about all things Tesla. 

Also, our drive back home will be via the Gigafactory and plan to spend one night in the local area.

Does anyone have any details of what there actually is to see there, Tesla wise?

Thanks.


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## Michael Russo

Before some of you (wish I could write 'us'... yet I am sober... ) can actually see it it in person, here is a small step in the right direction... 
http://autoweek.com/article/tesla/w...bes-were-born-new-teslas-are-built-california


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## John Edighoffer

Trevor,
I am in Pleasanton, California very near Fremont. I would love to meet with you and talk Model 3. Count me in on factory tours in Fremont and Nevada, if possible.


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## Mike

MelindaV said:


> from a post on TMC, it looks like tours are currently only being offered to current owners but you can try to reach out to Tesla at 888-518-3752 and see if that's still the case


I have now confirmed that with the folks at Tesla. No VIN, no tour.

Fair enough. The chap I was talking with told me they have been swamped with tour requests.

Since there is a Tesla store at the factory location, we have booked a (Model S) test drive session for the date we will stop at the factory to take a selfie at the front gate.


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## RandyS

To make the tour idea work, you need to find someone picking up their Model S or X at the factory that day and tag along as their friend. Owners can bring up to 4 folks with them when they pickup their car and do the tour...


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## Mike

RandyS said:


> To make the tour idea work, you need to find someone picking up their Model S or X at the factory that day and tag along as their friend. Owners can bring up to 4 folks with them when they pickup their car and do the tour...


You are correct, right now, that is the only way one can get a tour of the factory.

It would be be a miracle if we were able to tee up some sort of rendezvous with new owners on the one day we were in town.

Thus our new plan, which has devolved to getting to the front gate for some photos plus the Model S test drive at the store located at the factory.

One note, in my correspondence with Tesla on this subject, they told me one guest per owner.

It will still be a great 5900 mile road trip, via off interstate system (for the majority), to test drive a Model S in Fremont.


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## AZ Desert Driver

TrevP said:


> I'm in the early stages of talking to a fellow Model 3 owner and Tesl employee in the US about organizing a road strip with our Model 3s. Timing will depend of course on delivery dates etc... but here's the proposed route:
> 
> View attachment 1081
> 
> 
> A tour of the factory, of course, is part of the plan.


Soooo close to the Grand Canyon. Thats gotta be part of any road trip out west.


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## Mike

Well, we made it to Fremont and the Tesla factory last Thursday. Still another 6 days before reaching home (for a total of 22 days).

With a one hour Q&A session, followed by a one hour Model S test drive for both my buddy and me (for a total of two hours), I have come to two conclusions:

1. I was able to successfully drive the Model S for an hour with an indicated 160 watt hours per km average, driving it like I drive my Prius, so I fully expect to be able to average no worse than 180 watt hours per km for the life of my future Model 3, and

2. I will pay for autopilot.

Cheers from Vernal, CO enroute home.


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