In new photos released by EV giant Tesla we get an even closer look into its Model Y factory at its Shanghai Gigafactory prior to production. Tesla is the first foreign automaker to have a wholly-owned factory in China, an extremely important market to the automaker.
Gigafactory Shanghai currently produces the Model 3 where demand has sky rocketed in the past months following a price decrease. The Tesla Model Y is expected to have even more of a demand on the Chinese market and is expect4ed to compete directly with other small electric vehicles from names like NIO and Xpeng.
Following the release of its Q3 2020 financial results, Tesla has released some photos showing the progress of Model Y production at Gigafactory Shanghai. These photos include the new Model Y factory and die cast machines being built, body manufacturing robots, and the first photos of the Model Y paint shop in the new factory:
Tesla claims its current annual production rate in Shanghai is 250,000-vehicle, and that number is expected to double with the production of the Model Y being added. According the the automaker, Model Y production at Gigafactory Shanghai is expected to start in early 2021. “We are currently building Model Y capacity at Gigafactory Shanghai, Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas, and remain on track to start deliveries from each location in 2021”