Tesla is making some components for ventilators

Due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, hospitals across the United States are facing a shortage of medical equipment.

Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla's New York factory is making ventilators "as fast as possible." However, an aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo later said that Tesla is making some components of ventilators and is still working to increase production.

Musk recently provided 1,255 ventilators for free in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and later said the company's New York factory would reopen to produce more ventilators. At the same time, Tesla is also helping medical device companies deliver life-saving equipment to state hospitals.

A fan posted a video on Twitter of Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak saying Tesla was making Medtronic ventilators at its Fremont, California, factory. Musk responded a day later that his company would begin shipping Resmed, Philips and Medtronic ventilators to New York hospitals that evening.

Recently, an aide to New York Governor Cuomo said that Tesla is producing ventilator components, not the entire machine. The aide, Melissa DeRosa, said at a press conference that Tesla has not yet delivered the parts.

"They're trying to speed it up and get it up and running as quickly as possible, but it's not happening yet," DeRosa said. Tesla did not immediately respond to DeRosa's comments.

As early as March 25, Musk tweeted, "The New York factory will resume production of ventilators as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to help the citizens of New York." An assistant to New York Governor Cuomo later clarified that Tesla will manufacture ventilator components.

It is understood that Tesla's factory in Buffalo, New York mainly produces photovoltaic cells for Tesla's solar panel subsidiary SolarCity.