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Tesla builds up Model 3 inventory in China ahead of official green light to sell

Tesla Gigafactory 3 MIC Model 3 (Source: JayinShanghai)

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A new Tesla Gigafactory 3 video footage shows that its parking lot is starting to fill up with Made-In-China (MIC) Model 3, a potential sign that the Silicon Valley-based carmaker is ready to deliver these units to consumers once given the go-signal to sell its locally-produced vehicles.

The sighting follows Tesla’s mid-November approval by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to begin mass production of its mass-market electric car locally.

Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai aims to produce about 3,000 vehicles per week, according to initial estimates from Global VP Grace Tao. If estimates are correct, the first car plant in China wholly owned by a foreign brand should provide Tesla with a notable boost in its attempt to hit the lower end of its sales guidance of 360,00-400,000 vehicles in 2019.

The rollout of Tesla’s MIC Model 3 gives the brand a chance to gain a share of the market from other car manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler, and other local contenders and this will also be a feather in the cap for CEO Elon Musk to prove Tesla can rake in and sustain profits in global markets. Bloomberg has reported in November that Tesla plans to start delivery of the Model 3 in China before the Spring Festival, which starts on Jan. 25.

Tesla has also deployed Gigafactory 3-made Model 3 units to showrooms across the country last month as a way to boost its ongoing awareness campaign. The entry of the leading U.S. electric car manufacturer in the Chinese market is a welcome development for local manufacturers.

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“I think Tesla coming to China will be a positive catalyst for the EV market. I always believe that having a good product that really gets the consumer interested and expands the overall market is good for the industry,” Xpeng Motors president Brian Gu said in an interview.

Tesla validated earlier reports during its Q3 earnings call and confirmed that the Shanghai Gigafactory is progressing ahead of schedule. To support this claim, the electric car maker released images showing that production in the new factory in China has started.

The construction of Gigafactory 3 in China begun in January this year and was ready for production in 10 months. According to Tesla, the factory in Shanghai is roughly 65% cheaper to build compared to its plant in the US.

The Model 3 will have a starting price of around $50,000 in China. The pricing, comparably higher than other electric vehicles in the local market, seemingly hints that Tesla may want to maintain its premium branding globally.

Check out the Gigafactory 3 China video footage below, courtesy of Tesla owner-enthusiast JayInShanghai:

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Here’s another glimpse of the Gigafactory 3 in China from Jason Yang:

A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

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GM CEO Mary Barra says she told Biden to give Tesla and Musk EV credit

“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”

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General Motors CEO Mary Barra said in a new interview on Wednesday that she told President Joe Biden to credit Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for the widespread electric vehicle transition.

She said she told Biden this after the former President credited her and GM for leading EV efforts in the United States.

During an interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Barra said she told Biden that crediting her was essentially a mistake, and that Musk and Tesla should have been explicitly mentioned (via Business Insider):

“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”

Back in 2021, President Biden visited GM’s “Factory Zero” plant in Detroit, which was the centerpiece of the company’s massive transition to EVs. The former President went on to discuss the EV industry, and claimed that GM and Barra were the true leaders who caused the change:

“In the auto industry, Detroit is leading the world in electric vehicles. You know how critical it is? Mary, I remember talking to you way back in January about the need for America to lead in electric vehicles. I can remember your dramatic announcement that by 2035, GM would be 100% electric. You changed the whole story, Mary. You did, Mary. You electrified the entire automotive industry. I’m serious. You led, and it matters.”

People were baffled by the President’s decision to highlight GM and Barra, and not Tesla and Musk, who truly started the transition to EVs. GM, Ford, and many other companies only followed in the footsteps of Tesla after it started to take market share from them.

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Elon Musk and Tesla try to save legacy automakers from Déjà vu

Musk would eventually go on to talk about Biden’s words later on:

They have so much power over the White House that they can exclude Tesla from an EV Summit. And, in case the first thing, in case that wasn’t enough, then you have President Biden with Mary Barra at a subsequent event, congratulating Mary for having led the EV revolution.”

In Q4 2021, which was shortly after Biden’s comments, Tesla delivered 300,000 EVs. GM delivered just 26.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving shows confident navigation in heavy snow

So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla Full Self-Driving is getting its first taste of Winter weather for late 2025, as snow is starting to fall all across the United States.

The suite has been vastly improved after Tesla released v14 to many owners with capable hardware, and driving performance, along with overall behavior, has really been something to admire. This is by far the best version of FSD Tesla has ever released, and although there are a handful of regressions with each subsequent release, they are usually cleared up within a week or two.

Tesla is releasing a modified version of FSD v14 for Hardware 3 owners: here’s when

However, adverse weather conditions are something that Tesla will have to confront, as heavy rain, snow, and other interesting situations are bound to occur. In order for the vehicles to be fully autonomous, they will have to go through these scenarios safely and accurately.

One big issue I’ve had, especially in heavy rain, is that the camera vision might be obstructed, which will display messages that certain features’ performance might be degraded.

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So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease:

Moving into the winter months, it will be very interesting to see how FSD handles even more concerning conditions, especially with black ice, freezing rain and snow mix, and other things that happen during colder conditions.

We are excited to test it ourselves, but I am waiting for heavy snowfall to make it to Pennsylvania so I can truly push it to the limit.

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Tesla hosts Rome Mayor for first Italian FSD Supervised road demo

The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets.

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Credit: @andst7/X

Tesla definitely seems to be actively engaging European officials on FSD’s capabilities, with the company hosting Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Mobility Assessor Eugenio Patanè for a hands-on road demonstration. 

The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets. This comes amid Tesla’s push for FSD’s EU regulatory approvals in the coming year.

Rome officials experience FSD Supervised

Tesla conducted the demo using a Model 3 equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised), tackling typical Roman traffic including complex intersections, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and mixed users like cars, bikes and scooters.

The system showcased AI-based assisted driving, prioritizing safety while maintaining flow. FSD also handled overtakes and lane decisions, though with constant driver supervision.

Investor Andrea Stroppa detailed the event on X, noting the system’s potential to reduce severe collision risks by up to seven times compared to traditional driving, based on Tesla’s data from billions of global fleet miles. The session highlighted FSD’s role as an assistance tool in its Supervised form, not a replacement, with the driver fully responsible at all times.

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Path to European rollout

Tesla has logged over 1 million kilometers of testing across 17 European countries, including Italy, to refine FSD for local conditions. The fact that Rome officials personally tested FSD Supervised bodes well for the program’s approval, as it suggests that key individuals are closely watching Tesla’s efforts and innovations.

Assessor Patanè also highlighted the administration’s interest in technologies that boost road safety and urban travel quality, viewing them as aids for both private and public transport while respecting rules.

Replies on X urged involving Italy’s Transport Ministry to speed approvals, with one user noting, “Great idea to involve the mayor! It would be necessary to involve components of the Ministry of Transport and the government as soon as possible: it’s they who can accelerate the approval of FSD in Italy.”

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