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Tesla to ramps service centers, Superchargers in China ahead of GF3 activation

Tesla Model 3 production line in Gigafactory 3, Shanghai, China. (Credit: Tesla)

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As Tesla waits for its final permits to begin Model 3 production in Gigafactory 3, the electric car maker is also planning on expanding its footprint in the Asian economic superpower by doubling the number of its repair and maintenance centers and building another 100 Supercharger stations. The information was shared with Reuters by people familiar with the matter. 

With this in mind, Tesla should, in the coming months, more than double its service centers from 29 to 63 and boost its rapid charging network to 362 sites. That’s an increase of 39% in terms of Supercharger coverage, and it should give Model 3 owners more charging support for long trips. This was highlighted by Tesla general manager Wang Hao in a statement to the media outlet. 

“Expanding the service network is very important to boost customer confidence,” he said, emphasizing that the upcoming Supercharger Network ramp in China would adopt a far quicker pace than before. 

Documents acquired by Reuters further revealed that Tesla will be opening new locations in the northwestern city of Urumqi, the southwestern city of Kunming and “Ice City” Harbin in the north. This would allow Tesla to target customers that are living outside the country’s more populous areas. 

“There is growing sales potential from more inland cities, and a need to prepare for growing repair and maintenance demands to avoid complaints,” one of the sources stated. 

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Apart from these updates, the publication’s sources claimed that Tesla is also looking to turn some of its showrooms in China into sites that are dubbed as “Tesla Centers.” Tesla Centers are reportedly large, one-stop-shops that serve as showrooms, delivery centers, service and maintenance sites, and even Superchargers. These projects are conducted as a means to further optimize the Tesla ownership experience. 

As of writing, Tesla is yet to confirm or deny the information from Reuters‘ anonymous sources. 

Tesla’s China initiatives are centered on Gigafactory 3, a massive electric vehicle production site built in Shanghai. The facility, which transformed from a muddy plot of land in January to a full-fledged electric car factory in September, will be producing Made-in-China Model 3, and later on, the Model Y crossover as well. 

The Tesla Gigafactory 3’s growth has turned out to be faster than expected, with the facility entering trial production runs in October instead of Elon Musk’s December 2019 target. The initial output of Gigafactory 3 is also higher than expected, with Tesla Global VP Grace Tao stating that the Shanghai-based plant will aim for a production rate of 3,000 Model 3 per week to start. To compare, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas stated in a previous note that Gigafactory 3 will likely only produce less than 800 vehicles per week in 2020, and ramp to a pace of 1,100 Model 3 per week in 2021.

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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 Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign

The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands. 

The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.

The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.

Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun. 

“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website. 

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This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.

Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.

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Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges

New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla’s sales momentum in China strengthened in November, with wholesale volumes rising to 86,700 units, reversing a slowdown seen in October. 

New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month. This was partly driven by tightened delivery windows, targeted marketing, and buyers moving to secure vehicles before changes to national purchase tax incentives take effect.

Tesla’s November rebound coincided with a noticeable spike in Model Y interest across China. Delivery wait times extended multiple times over the month, jumping from an initial 2–5 weeks to estimated handovers in January and February 2026 for most five-seat variants. Only the six-seat Model Y L kept its 4–8 week estimated delivery timeframe.

The company amplified these delivery updates across its Chinese social media channels, urging buyers to lock in orders early to secure 2025 delivery slots and preserve eligibility for current purchase tax incentives, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla also highlighted that new inventory-built Model Y units were available for customers seeking guaranteed handovers before December 31.

This combination of urgency marketing and genuine supply-demand pressure seemed to have helped boost November’s volumes, stabilizing what had been a year marked by several months of year-over-year declines.

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For the January–November period, Tesla China recorded 754,561 wholesale units, an 8.30% decline compared to the same period last year. The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to operate as both a domestic production base and a major global export hub, building the Model 3 and Model Y for markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, among other territories.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla bear gets blunt with beliefs over company valuation

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla bear Michael Burry got blunt with his beliefs over the company’s valuation, which he called “ridiculously overvalued” in a newsletter to subscribers this past weekend.

“Tesla’s market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time,” Burry, who was the inspiration for the movie The Big Shortand was portrayed by Christian Bale.

Burry went on to say, “As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up.”

Tesla bear Michael Burry ditches bet against $TSLA, says ‘media inflated’ the situation

For a long time, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla, its stock, and its CEO, Elon Musk, even placing a $530 million bet against shares several years ago. Eventually, Burry’s short position extended to other supporters of the company, including ARK Invest.

Tesla has long drawn skepticism from investors and more traditional analysts, who believe its valuation is overblown. However, the company is not traded as a traditional stock, something that other Wall Street firms have recognized.

While many believe the company has some serious pull as an automaker, an identity that helped it reach the valuation it has, Tesla has more than transformed into a robotics, AI, and self-driving play, pulling itself into the realm of some of the most recognizable stocks in tech.

Burry’s Scion Asset Management has put its money where its mouth is against Tesla stock on several occasions, but the firm has not yielded positive results, as shares have increased in value since 2020 by over 115 percent. The firm closed in May.

In 2020, it launched its short position, but by October 2021, it had ditched that position.

Tesla has had a tumultuous year on Wall Street, dipping significantly to around the $220 mark at one point. However, it rebounded significantly in September, climbing back up to the $400 region, as it currently trades at around $430.

It closed at $430.14 on Monday.

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