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Tesla Gigafactory 3 in China to exclusively produce Model 3 and Model Y variants
Tesla’s groundbreaking event for Gigafactory 3 showcased the company’s current lineup of vehicles and a personal appearance from CEO Elon Musk. As could be seen from images uploaded of the ceremony, Musk shared the stage with the first vehicle expected to be produced in the upcoming facility — a Tesla Model 3.
Unlike Tesla’s first Gigafactory in Nevada, which produces the Model 3’s drive units and battery packs, Gigafactory 3 is set to be equipped with production lines for both batteries and electric cars. As confirmed by Elon Musk earlier today prior to the facility’s groundbreaking ceremony, the Shanghai facility will be producing the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y SUV.
In a follow-up tweet, though, Musk also mentioned a particularly notable detail about Gigafactory 3’s output. In his update, Musk stated that the upcoming Shanghai facility would be exclusively producing “affordable” versions of the Model 3 and Model Y. Higher-end versions of the vehicles, such as the Model 3 Performance, would still be built in the United States and exported to international markets, including China.
Shanghai Giga will produce affordable versions of 3/Y for greater China. All Model S/X & higher cost versions of Model 3/Y will still be built in US for WW market, incl China.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2019
Such an announcement bodes well for Tesla’s strategy in the Asian economic superpower. Tesla’s vehicles in the country, after all, have so far been higher-priced than EVs produced by local electric car makers. By producing its lower-end Model 3 and Model Y in Gigafactory 3, Tesla would be able to price the vehicles very competitively in the country, mainly as the electric cars would not be subject to import taxes — regardless of the presence of a trade war between the United States and China.
Elon Musk has not provided more details about the “affordable” versions of the Model 3 and Model Y that would be produced in Gigafactory 3. In the case of the Model 3, though, Musk’s statement most likely pertains to the Standard Range version of the electric sedan. That’s a car that is, at its most basic iteration, priced in the United States in the same range as a top-tier Toyota Camry. The Tesla Model Y, on the other hand, is an electric car that would be competing in a market already enamored with SUVs. In China, a country that is aggressively pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles, such electric cars would likely be disruptive.
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- (Photo: TeslainShanghai/Imgur)
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- (Photo: TeslainShanghai/Imgur)
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- (Photo: TeslainShanghai/Imgur)
Images from Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 groundbreaking event in Shanghai, China. (Photo: TeslainShanghai/Imgur)
Tesla is aiming to follow an incredibly ambitious timetable for Gigafactory 3. When the company initially announced its target of starting vehicle production within two years after the facility begins construction, many in the United States were skeptical. Wall Street analyst James Albertine, for one, flat-out declared the target timeline was “not feasible.” In Tesla’s Q3 2018 production and deliveries report, Tesla did adjust its estimates, making its timetable even more aggressive. Earlier today, Musk noted on Twitter that the goal is to finish the initial construction of Gigafactory 3 this summer, followed by the start of Model 3 production by the end of 2019. Large-scale manufacturing of the electric sedan would begin sometime next year.
While such an aggressive timeline is classic Elon Musk, it should be noted that Tesla seems to be getting a considerable amount of support from the Chinese government. After the project was officially announced last year, for example, it did not take long before local Shanghai banks granted Tesla low-interest loans to fund part of the facility’s construction. Furthermore, Tesla’s bid for the 864,885-square meter plot of land in Shanghai’s Lingang Industrial Zone went unchallenged. The company’s construction partner, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd, is also a subsidiary of China Construction, which is owned by the government.
With support from the local Chinese government, there is almost no doubt that Gigafactory 3 will be completed on schedule. Ultimately, the start of Model 3 production in the upcoming facility would likely depend on Tesla’s capability to ship and set up its equipment in the battery and electric car factory.
Watch Elon Musk’s speech at the Gigafactory 3 groundbreaking ceremony in the video below.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
