Tesla’s production suspension in March as a result of countless shutdowns sparked concern among the brand’s followers about the future of the electric vehicle company. The Tesla Model 3, which was released in early 2019, may be the most one of the sustainable cars of 2020, but vehicle production has been paused in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Like many other major manufacturers, the company has since shifted its mission to helping to fill the gap of medical supplies needed on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. Elon Musk, the innovative CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, has quickly gained a prominent place in the world of modern science and technology, and he’s stepped up to contribute materials and labor to combat the growing ventilator shortage in hotspots across the country.

Tesla has promised to contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts

Tesla was founded with the goal of making the world a better place in mind. The first mainstream electric car company replaces non-renewable fuel with solar panels and charging stations, and CEO Elon Musk has contributed to numerous causes that range from creating affordable housing to hurricane relief efforts.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make a deep dent in the ventilator supply across the country, Tesla has again pledged to lend a hand by contributing some of its vehicle parts and manpower to producing a new type of ventilator. Musk recently tweeted, “what is simple in one arena is often profound in another,” which perfectly describes his plans to repurpose simple car parts to build lifesaving machines.  

Several Tesla Model 3 parts can be repurposed to build ventilators

Because cars and other large machines are generally built from simple, versatile parts, repurposing them to create something new is not as difficult as it may sound. Alex Kierstein of MotorTrend explained that “ventilators are basically air pumps used to assist patients’ breathing,” and vehicle pumps, sensors, tanks, and other parts can be altered to serve a similar purpose.

Kierstein identified the Tesla Model 3’s air suspension reservoir tank, infotainment system, and a variety of basic sensors and valves as the main repurposed components that make up the bulk of Tesla’s ventilators. Tesla’s video update digs deeper into how the company is converting basic supplies into much-needed devices.      

Using known design elements of the Tesla Model 3 can speed up ventilator production

Elon Musk’s efforts to repurpose known design elements of the Tesla Model 3 have already provided a significant boost to the country’s ventilator production. While the sharp increase in demand may have quickly overwhelmed medical supply companies, assistance from Tesla, Ford, GM, and other automobile manufacturers has begun to help hospitals across the country keep up with the demand.

On April 16th, Musk released a list of hospitals in New York City, Los Angeles, and other high-need areas that have received their first shipments of ventilators, CPAP machines, and other breathing assistance devices. The initial batch contained a total of more than 1,000 products, which were “based on direct requests from their ICU wards.”

The day-to-day operations of many major companies may look a bit different this spring, but advances in science and technology have made it possible to use the parts that form the backbone of one product to build something new. Tesla is just one of many companies that have found a resourceful way to fill a nationwide need by using supplies they already have.

By quickly shifting gears to build ventilators with Tesla Model 3 parts, Tesla has added to a long history of previous support for humanitarian causes that will serve it well among potential buyers when the time comes to return to its position as America’s leader in electric vehicle production.