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Tesla’s sole ownership of Giga Shanghai is a silver bullet amid China’s anti-combustion engine initiative

(Credit: Tesla)

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It may seem almost unremarkable today, but the fact that Tesla holds sole ownership of Gigafactory Shanghai is nothing to scoff at. This is especially notable as China implements a strong push against the internal combustion engine, as highlighted by the country’s new rules that make it extremely difficult to establish a factory producing gas-powered cars starting 2021.

In September 2019, a top Chinese industry official announced during an automobile conference that the country was planning on phasing out fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Few details were shared during the time, but recent updates from China show just how serious the initiative would be.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, noted that China will no longer allow new companies that make fossil fuel-powered vehicles to be set up in the country. The new rules, which were published last week, came after the commission announced notable changes to China’s auto industry investment policies earlier this year.

(Credit: Wu Wa/YouTube)

China has taken a very supportive stance for its new energy vehicle segment, which comprises battery-electric, hybrid, and fuel-cell cars. Currently, the country stands as the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, and it has implemented programs that are aimed at discouraging car buyers from purchasing fossil fuel-burning cars. Among these are restrictions for ICE cars in cities to notable subsidies for new energy vehicles.

With China’s updated rules in place, even existing carmakers that have already established a presence in the country will find it difficult to expand their manufacturing operations for gas-powered cars. If an automaker wishes to establish an ICE vehicle factory, the company would have to meet several strict requirements.

These include proving that their manufacturing efficiencies are higher than the industry average. Companies that produce ICE cars must also make more new energy vehicles than the industry average. Automakers must spend at least 3% of their revenue on NEV research and development as well, among other requirements.

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China’s update sets the bar for carmakers so high that only a few companies are expected to meet it, such as Geely and SAIC, an automaker that is state-owned and based in Shanghai. Both companies currently stand among China’s top automakers, as per data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, an organization that is affiliated with the government.

(Credit: Chen Zhengbao/Shine.cn)

Amidst these developments, Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai could effectively ramp without being weighed down by restrictions from the Chinese government. Tesla’s sole ownership of the expansive facility also means that the electric car maker will stand to benefit immensely from the facility’s expansion and growth. This could be a massive edge or even a silver bullet of sorts for Tesla next year when the Made-in-China Model Y begins its rollout.

Tesla may only be an emerging carmaker in China today, but the company has received some notable support from the government over the years. Prior to Gigafactory Shanghai’s groundbreaking event, Tesla was able to secure low-interest loans from local banks without any issues. The bidding process for the land where the China-based factory also proved smooth for Tesla, with the electric car maker strangely being the only company that placed a bid for the site.

Open support for Tesla was also shown by high-ranking government officials such as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who personally hosted CEO Elon Musk in the Tower of Violet Light, a site usually reserved for foreign dignitaries, following Gigafactory Shanghai’s groundbreaking ceremony. During their meeting, Li proved optimistic about Tesla’s future in China, at one point even offering Musk a “Chinese Green Card” so that he could pursue his projects in the country.

Simon is an experienced automotive 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. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla scrambles after Musk sidekick exit, CEO takes over sales

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly overseeing sales in North America and Europe, Bloomberg reports.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla scrambled its executives around following the exit of CEO Elon Musk’s sidekick last week, Omead Afshar. Afshar was relieved of his duties as Head of Sales for both North America and Europe.

Bloomberg is reporting that Musk is now overseeing both regions for sales, according to sources familiar with the matter. Afshar left the company last week, likely due to slow sales in both markets, ending a seven-year term with the electric automaker.

Tesla’s Omead Afshar, known as Elon Musk’s right-hand man, leaves company: reports

Afshar was promoted to the role late last year as Musk was becoming more involved in the road to the White House with President Donald Trump.

Afshar, whose LinkedIn account stated he was working within the “Office of the CEO,” was known as Musk’s right-hand man for years.

Additionally, Tom Zhu, currently the Senior Vice President of Automotive at Tesla, will oversee sales in Asia, according to the report.

It is a scramble by Tesla to get the company’s proven executives over the pain points the automaker has found halfway through the year. Sales are looking to be close to the 1.8 million vehicles the company delivered in both of the past two years.

Tesla is pivoting to pay more attention to the struggling automotive sales that it has felt over the past six months. Although it is still performing well and is the best-selling EV maker by a long way, it is struggling to find growth despite redesigning its vehicles and launching new tech and improvements within them.

The company is also looking to focus more on its deployment of autonomous tech, especially as it recently launched its Robotaxi platform in Austin just over a week ago.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

However, while this is the long-term catalyst for Tesla, sales still need some work, and it appears the company’s strategy is to put its biggest guns on its biggest problems.

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Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles).

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla has rolled out a series of quiet upgrades to its Model 3 and Model Y in China, enhancing range and performance for long-range variants. The updates come with a price hike for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which now costs RMB 285,500 (about $39,300), up RMB 10,000 ($1,400) from the previous price.

Model 3 gets acceleration boost, extended range

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles), up from 713 km (443 miles), and a faster 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, down from 4.4 seconds. These changes suggest that Tesla has bundled the previously optional Acceleration Boost for the Model 3, once priced at RMB 14,100 ($1,968), as a standard feature.

Delivery wait times for the long-range Model 3 have also been shortened, from 3–5 weeks to just 1–3 weeks, as per CNEV Post. No changes were made to the entry-level RWD or Performance versions, which retain their RMB 235,500 and RMB 339,500 price points, respectively. Wait times for those trims also remain at 1–3 weeks and 8–10 weeks.

Model Y range increases, pricing holds steady

The Model Y Long Range has also seen its CLTC-rated range increase from 719 km (447 miles) to 750 km (466 miles), though its price remains unchanged at RMB 313,500 ($43,759). The model maintains a 0–100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds.

Tesla also updated delivery times for the Model Y lineup. The Long Range variant now shows a wait time of 1–3 weeks, an improvement from the previous 3–5 weeks. The entry-level RWD version maintained its starting price of RMB 263,500, though its delivery window is now shorter at 2–4 weeks.

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Tesla continues to offer several purchase incentives in China, including an RMB 8,000 discount for select paint options, an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, and five years of interest-free financing for eligible variants.

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Tesla China registrations hit 20.7k in final week of June, highest in Q2

The final week of June stands as the second-highest of 2025 and the best-performing week of the quarter.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China recorded 20,680 domestic insurance registrations during the week of June 23–29, marking its highest weekly total in the second quarter of 2025. 

The figure represents a 49.3% increase from the previous week and a 46.7% improvement year-over-year, suggesting growing domestic momentum for the electric vehicle maker in Q2’s final weeks.

Q2 closes with a boost despite year-on-year dip

The strong week helped lift Tesla’s performance for the quarter, though Q2 totals remain down 4.6% quarter-over-quarter and 10.9% year-over-year, according to industry watchers. Despite these declines, the last week of June stands as the second-highest of 2025 and the best-performing week of the quarter. 

As per industry watchers, Tesla China delivered 15,210 New Model Y units last week, the highest weekly tally since the vehicle’s launch. The Model 3 followed with 5,470 deliveries during the same period. Tesla’s full June and Q2 sales data for China are expected to be released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) in the coming days.

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https://twitter.com/Tslachan/status/1939955521970147756

Tesla China and minor Model 3 and Model Y updates

Tesla manufactures the Model 3 and Model Y at its Shanghai facility, which provides vehicles to both domestic and international markets. In May, the automaker reported 38,588 retail sales in China, down 30.1% year-over-year but up 34.3% from April. Exports from Shanghai totaled 23,074 units in May, a 32.9% improvement from the previous year but down 22.4% month-over-month, as noted in a CNEV Post report.

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Earlier this week, Tesla introduced minor updates to the long-range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y in China. The refreshed Model 3 saw a modest price increase, while pricing for the updated Model Y Long Range variant remained unchanged. These adjustments come as Tesla continues refining its China lineup amid shifting local demand and increased competition from domestic brands.

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