Tesla China roars back with 212% month-over-month production increase in May

Credit: Tesla Greater China/Twitter

Tesla China is back, and Gigafactory Shanghai is hitting its pace once more. As per data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla was able to produce 33,544 vehicles in May in its Shanghai EV plant, a 212% increase compared to April’s 10,757.

Tesla China’s May figures represent a recovery for the electric vehicle maker, which experienced a steep decline in April due to the country’s stringent Covid-19 lockdowns. But with the plant now operating with multiple shifts and the facility’s closed-loop system about to end, Giga Shanghai seems poised to make a strong comeback.

After selling just 1,512 units and exporting zero cars in April, Tesla China posted wholesale figures of 32,165 units for May. Among this number, 22,340 were exported to foreign territories. This suggests that 9,825 vehicles were sold locally last month, despite key cities such as Shanghai still being on lockdown.

Shanghai, for its part, just eased its Covid-19 restrictions earlier this month. Coupled with Tesla’s addition of a second shift in Giga Shanghai and the end of the facility’s closed-loop setup, Tesla China could see an even bigger boost in both its production and sales figures this June.

Prior to its Covid-19-induced shutdown, Gigafactory Shanghai was operating on a three-shift schedule. Weekly vehicle production then was estimated to be close to about 20,000 units. While Giga Shanghai is still yet to return to these levels, local reports have noted that the facility was able to produce 2,600 cars in one day in late May.

Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai is the company’s primary vehicle export hub, with the plant providing both Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers to key territories such as Europe. The facility shipped over 163,000 vehicles to major markets in 2021, accounting for about a third of the plant’s total output of 484,130 vehicles.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon Alvarez: Simon is a reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday.
Related Post
Disqus Comments Loading...