Tesla just doubled down on its plan to create the 'machine that builds the machine'

Chris Pizzello / AP

Tesla said automation has improved the quality and safety of its production process.

• Tesla just made it clear that robots will be key to the company's future despite the problems automation has caused with the production of the Model 3.
• In April, CEO Elon Musk said that humans were underrated and that he regretted using so many robots to make the Model 3.
• But in Tesla's first-quarter earnings letter, the company made it clear that it's still betting big on automation.

Tesla just made it clear that robots will be key to the company's future despite the problems automation has caused with the production of the Model 3.

In April, CEO Elon Musk said that humans were underrated and that he regretted using so many robots to make the Model 3.

"Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake," he said on Twitter.

But in Tesla's first-quarter earnings letter, the company made it clear that it's still betting big on automation.

"We've spoken at great length about the "machine that builds the machine" and why it is so important to Tesla's long-term success. Fundamentally, we believe that thinking about a factory in the same way that people think about the product itself creates the potential for a step change in manufacturing that will create enormous benefits for quality, cost, efficiency and employee safety," the company said.

"Based on every measurable metric, Model 3 is already the highest quality vehicle we have ever produced, and this is unquestionably due in large part to automation," Tesla said.

The company acknowledged that ramping up automation for the Model 3 caused major delays, but said that any new manufacturing process is going to come with challenges.

"A step change in manufacturing doesn't come without its challenges, particularly early in the process, and we made a mistake by adding too much automation too quickly," Tesla said.

The company added that it temporarily decreased the amount of automation used in some parts of the manufacturing process, like battery modules, material flow, and two steps of the general assembly process.

In April, a Reveal report criticized the safety conditions at the Fremont, California, factory where it makes cars, but the company said automation has had a positive effect on safety.

"We've been able to create significant safety benefits in the factory," the company said, citing changes to previously "ergonomically challenging" tasks on the production line.

Get the latest Tesla stock price here.