Musk Says Excessive Automation Was 'My Mistake'

Tesla Inc.'s Elon Musk, who's built up an aura around how automated his car assembly plant will be, has good news for humans: We still need your help. "Excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake," the CEO wrote in a tweet Friday, hours after CBS aired an interview in which he acknowledged putting too many robots in Tesla's lone auto factory. It was a significant concession by Musk, 46, who boasted less than a year ago that Tesla was building a competitive advantage over established automakers by programming robots to quickly produce vehicles. Instead, Tesla has struggled to hit targets for the Model 3, the first sedan the company has tried to mass-manufacture and eventually sell for as little as $35,000.