Tesla, the American electric carmaker, is considering locating its China design center in Beijing, according to a government document issued by the Chinese capital.
Tesla announced in 2020 that it would establish a design headquarters in China to oversee the development of "International EVs." Tesla began hiring for the site later that year, inviting anyone with an interest in automobiles or design to apply.
According to some reports, the first Tesla design studio could be located in Shanghai, the city that is home to the company's first manufacturing facility outside the United States. However, a more recent report may point to the country's capital.
While Tesla has not disclosed specifics, it is expected that the company will focus on producing smaller, more affordable EVs that will be primarily used for city travel.
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk previously confirmed that his company intends to eventually offer an EV that is more affordable than the Model 3 and aimed at developing markets.
The Beijing municipal government disclosed the information in late January in a work report outlining key projects for the city in 2022.
It briefly listed a number of electric vehicle charging stations that it stated it would begin construction on this year, without providing additional details. Apart from Tesla, it mentioned Xiaomi Corp.'s proposed car assembly plant, capable of producing 300,000 vehicles annually, and Toyota Motor's planned fuel cell research facility.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment immediately. The Beijing government document was previously reported on by local media and the Wall Street Journal.
Tesla began rolling out vehicles from its Shanghai factory in late 2019 and is ramping up production in response to surging sales. Additionally, the country has developed into an export hub for Teslas bound for Europe and other markets.
Beijing released a list of critical regional projects on January 31, which remained unnoticed until Thursday.
Tesla has remained mum on the Design Studio and what it might produce. While Tesla has discussed plans for a $25,000 vehicle and a "China-inspired" mass-market sedan to emerge from the facility, there has been no confirmation of which direction the automaker intends to take with its initial designs.
In recent years, China has been one of Tesla's strongest markets. Tesla has maintained a strong sales record since launching operations at Gigafactory Shanghai in early 2020, and has even used the Chinese plant as an export hub to quench the thirst for European demand.
