While reports have emerged alleging that Giga Shanghai is slowing down on its electric vehicle production, recent flyovers at the Shanghai Southport Terminal have indicated that Tesla China’s export activities are continuing well into the end of the first quarter. Quite interestingly, aerial footage of Tesla China’s export fleet shows that Giga Shanghai has been pumping out quite a large number of Model Y units painted in Quicksilver.
The recent drone footage was posted by longtime Tesla watcher Wu Wa, who has been observing Giga Shanghai since its earliest days. As per the drone operator, local reports from China have noted that Giga Shanghai has updated its vehicle production from 6.5 days per week to 5 days per week. Tesla China employees, however, have reportedly noted that they are not concerned about the facility’s production slowdown.
While Tesla China’s domestic sales this Q1 2024 seem to be facing some headwinds as per the company’s weekly insurance registration numbers, the drone operator’s flyover on March 25 at the Shanghai Southport Terminal shows that the electric vehicle maker is still very busy. Based on the volume of vehicles that are being gathered at the location, it would appear that Tesla China is gathering yet another massive export fleet.
These vehicles, however, will likely be delivered sometime in the second quarter. With this in mind, it would not be surprising if a good number of Quicksilver Model Y units are delivered to customers in Australia, New Zealand, and other territories that import their Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y units from Gigafactory Shanghai.
Tesla launched Quicksilver as a paint option for the Giga Shanghai-made Model Y just a few weeks ago, much to the delight of the electric vehicle community. Prior to the paint option’s launch in China, Quicksilver was exclusively available for Model Y units produced in Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. The facility is home to Tesla’s advanced paint shop, which also produces another unique color for the Model Y — Midnight Cherry Red — which is considered by some enthusiasts as the best paint option for the all-electric crossover.
Watch Wu Wa’s flyover of the Shanghai Southport Terminal in the video below.
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