The latest aerial video from the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory site, courtesy of Jason Yang, shows the main structure of the factory very close to completion. The remaining roof and wall patches on the north and south extremities look set to be completed this week, with largely weather/cosmetic finishing of some surfaces remaining. Focus is now shifting to work on the loading bays and the factory’s internals.
Welcome to the next issue of China x Cleantech, our April 2019 news edition. For our full China × Cleantech history, stroll over to the “Future Trends” section of our website. For the previous edition, check here.
Tesla has a decisive global lead both in EV technology and in production volume. With the announcement of Volkswagen’s plans for its ID.3 series this week, it now seems clear that the world’s largest fossil automaker has no plans to challenge Tesla for the EV leadership.
In the latest aerial flyover video of the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory, the main roof structure is now essentially complete, the walls along the east side of the main structure are also complete, and the rest is rapidly being finished. The progress over the past month has been spectacular, as we can see when comparing images over that time period.
The latest flyover video of the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory, courtesy of Jason Yang, clearly shows the construction progress accelerating towards completion of the external structures.
When it comes to electric vehicles, China has taken a lead role on the world stage. Chinese EV companies have flourished. And the country’s car buyers are increasingly intrigued by going electric. Now, Tesla is readying itself for a big push in China.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed in a tweet this morning that the structure of the company’s new Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, is on track for completion in May. Equipment for the factory will come in later, taking several months to be installed, be calibrated, and get up and running.
Construction progress continues at breakneck speed at Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai (aka Tesla Gigafactory 3), with the latest video update from Wuwa Vision (烏瓦) showing roofs starting to go up on several of the site’s structures.
It’s a bit harder for us to monitor Tesla activity in China than in the US and Europe. However, a certain Chinese American Tesla enthusiast seems to have a high number of connections there. Our friend Vincent routinely picks up intel on Tesla deliveries, Gigafactory 3 construction in Shanghai, and other matters. Below are some recent updates from Vincent.
According to documents released by the local ecology and environment authority, Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai is targeting completion of stamping, bodywork, painting, and assembly workshops by September 2019, making it ready to produce much of the Tesla Model 3 onsite by sometime in Q4. Motor and powertrain workshops, and seat production, are targeted for completion by March 2020, increasing further the degree of localization.
