Gary Zhou 
A recent report from China has provided some key information about Tesla’s operations in Gigafactory Shanghai. These include the production capabilities for the massive electric vehicle plant, which is reportedly able to produce a Tesla in 40 seconds on average.
Tesla had a very challenging 2022, from Covid lockdowns in China that forced Giga Shanghai to halt operations in the second quarter to headwinds brought to TSLA stock by CEO Elon Musk’s turbulent acquisition of social media platform Twitter. Despite these challenges, Tesla was able to produce a total of 1,369,611 and deliver a total of 1,313,851 cars in 2022.
Giga Shanghai accomplished a number of milestones last year, with the facility producing its one millionth vehicle in August 2022. Tesla China took less than three years to hit the one million vehicle mark, which is a huge accomplishment, especially if compared to the company’s Fremont Factory in California. As noted in a recent report from People’s Daily, Tesla China’s efficiency has allowed the facility to roll out a Model Y body-in-white every 40 seconds.
“In August 2022, Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory’s 1 millionth vehicle rolled off the production line. It took less than three years from the delivery of the first Chinese-made model to the achievement of this milestone, which became a phenomenal record in the history of the automotive industry. The ultra-high production efficiency allows Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory to roll off a Model Y body-in-white in about 40 seconds on average,” the publication noted.
Gigafactory Shanghai currently has a localization rate of over 95%, allowing the factory to create an ecosystem for new energy automotive components, which include batteries, automotive chips, autonomous driving systems, and automotive interiors. This ultimately helps the facility achieve “safety, independence, and controllability” in its industrial ecosystem. It should also be noted that Teslas produced at Gigafactory Shanghai are popular abroad, considering the facility’s designation as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub.
