Tesla factories to remain open despite coronavirus pandemic

The manufacturer said it had received confusing information over whether it could operate during a shelter-in-place order in Alameda County, according to an e-mail sent to employees on Wednesday by the company’s human resources department.

Employees were to go to work if their job was to produce, service, deliver or test its electric vehicles despite the order to shelter in place.

This means that all non-essential businesses should close, including bars, gyms and dine-in restaurants.

The e-mail to employees was sent after the Alameda County Sheriff declared that the Tesla factory is “not an essential business”.

Tesla employs more than 10,000 people at its Fremont factory, according to its website, building the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y.

Tesla Inc agreed to reduce the number of active workers at the factory.

"They told us they had gone from about 10,000 individual employees to about 2,500," a county official said. "It sounds to me like they very well could still be making cars. We are continuing to stress to them that they must move to minimum basic operations, if they are still making cars.”