The Giga Shanghai factory became operational in the final months of 2019 following a remarkably rapid construction phase that commenced on January 7, 2019. Initially focused on manufacturing the Model 3, the plant expanded to include Model Y production in late 2020 and early 2021.
The first million electric vehicles rolled off the Shanghai production line in August 2022, achieved in 33 months, as per company reports. The next million was accomplished in a notably shorter period of just 13 months.
As a point of comparison, Tesla's overall production from all its factories currently stands at approximately five million units. This means that the Shanghai facility accounts for two-fifths of all Tesla vehicles produced, with projections indicating it could exceed half by the end of this year.
Gigafactory Shanghai achieves 2 million production milestone pic.twitter.com/R3UxQ4Xal7
— Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) September 6, 2023
Giga Shanghai holds the title of the largest all-electric vehicle manufacturing plant in the world. Though Tesla "cautiously" states the factory's capacity as over 750,000 units per year, recent data indicates the actual figure is notably higher, with over 935,000 units either sold locally or shipped abroad in the last 12 months.
Significantly, Tesla was the first international automaker permitted to establish a fully-owned production facility in China, bypassing the typical 50/50 joint venture requirement.
At present, the Shanghai facility predominantly manufactures the Model Y, producing about twice as many units as the Model 3. The plant has also recently initiated the production of an extensively updated Model 3.
Initially serving the domestic Chinese market, the factory has evolved into Tesla's primary export center, supplying nearby regions as well as Europe and, more recently, Canada.
As of the end of July, export numbers surpassed 215,000, with local sales reaching 325,000. The trajectory suggests that exports may eventually align with domestic sales figures.
Source: Tesla
