Chances are you have already seen Elon Musk dancing happily, if awkwardly, at the launch of his first Tesla factory outside of the USA. If you haven’t, though, hit Play and treat yourself.
The leader of the company said that when the Model Y SUV line finally becomes ready for production, China will be the first market to receive it. In the meantime, the Chinese branch will be busy mostly pumping out one Model 3 sedan after another.
The first Model 3 to have rolled off the assembly lines in Shanghai was purchased by a client from the suburbs of the city. Official press releases claim the production started in the end of 2019, but back then, only factory employees had the privilege of purchasing the early cars.
The factory has quickly gained momentum since, and is currently producing 1,000 vehicles per week with 30% of components sourced locally. Musk hopes to increase this indicator to 100% by the end of the year, which would make the cars around 20% cheaper for the end customer.
Tesla is optimistic about the upcoming Tesla Model Y SUV, stating that it should exceed the cumulative sales of all its other EVs.
The next Tesla factory is going to be constructed in Germany.