Tesla wants to build cars in minutes that aren't worth repairing

Tesla accelerates toward the disposable car: goodbye to paint and repairs

A car being built in under five minutes sounds like science fiction, but Tesla is determined to make it happen. The upcoming gigapress 50000, ordered from Italian suppliers, will be able to produce five parts at once, equivalent to a complete car per cycle. On top of that comes the elimination of the paint line, one of the most expensive and slowest stages: the body structure would come out of the stamping machine already painted. The message is clear: build fast, cheap and in volume.

The big question is whether this will turn the car into a throwaway item. While some argue the price won't drop below 30,000 euros — and therefore cars will still be worth repairing — others point out that Chinese EVs already sell for 10,000 euros at origin, pushing the EU to impose tariffs. The analogy with fast fashion is no accident: just as tailored suits became disposable clothing, cars could trinc the same path.

The battery factor adds another twist. If charge cycles go from the current 2,000 (one million kilometres) to 10,000, batteries would become virtually eternal. So why would you change your car? For the same reason you change your phone: because you get tired of the design or the colour. Tesla has taken note and is betting on ultra-fast production that makes the vehicle so cheap that repairing it barely makes sense.

The debate over whether this is pogre or regression is wide open. What is clear is that the automotive industry is heading toward a model that prioritises mass production over durability, and the next decade will bring cheaper cars — but perhaps more ephemeral ones too.