American electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc earlier this week officially began working on the Tesla Model Y program at its $2 billion Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, China, reports Reuters. The recent ceremony was attended by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with with high profile senior Shanghai government officials. The event happens a year after the Silicon Valley electric vehicle maker decided to build a massive facility outside the US in the most prominent auto market of the world.
The latest event in Tesla Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai also marks the commencement of the delivery of Made in China Model 3 electric vehicles to non-Tesla employees. It is worth noting that Tesla first delivered the MIC Model 3 vehicles to its employees on Dec. 30, 2019. Earlier images leaked online revealed that the company is also starting the production of Tesla Model Y in Gigafactory on Jan. 7, 2020, which is earlier than anticipated.
Earlier this week, electric vehicle enthusiasts and Chinese resident Yan Chang shared a poster on Twitter. Chang was one of the first people who have the chance to drive the Tesla Made in China Model 3 vehicle in Nov. 2019. Chang's report aligns with the report released by Reuters earlier today.
A Jan. 7, 2020 starting date for the Tesla Model Y program at the Gigafactory 3 is surprising and unprecedented. It could mean that the all-electric crossover produced in China could have the same production in the US, reports Teslarati. Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y share approximately 75 percent of the same parts.
In other words, it would be very easy to produce both vehicles, considering the similarities in parts. The US electric vehicle maker has already started taking pre-orders for the Tesla Model Y, which indicates that the company is all set to begin the production of the crossover Tesla vehicle. At present, the Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai produces an average of 3,000 Tesla Made in China Model 3 vehicles per week.
The Tesla Gigafactory 3 in China could be one of Tesla's biggest weapon this year. The Tesla production plant would be the game-changer for the US electric vehicle maker this year, according to a Wall Street analyst. It remains to be seen how much success the Gigafactory 3 could contribute to Tesla. But, considering the fast production along with strong Chinese demand, these two crucial factors could help Tesla have an explosive decade.
Tesla is also working on another production plant in Brandenburg and eyes the end of 2020 as the start of the Gigafactory 4's production.
