Giga Shanghai

Record-Breaking Speed

Giga Shanghai, located in the Lingang Special Area of Shanghai's Pudong New District, holds the record for the fastest Gigafactory construction in Tesla's history. Groundbreaking occurred in January 2019, and the first vehicles rolled off the production line in December 2019 -- less than 12 months from bare ground to finished cars.

This speed was made possible by the Shanghai government's support, which streamlined permitting and provided favorable land leases. Giga Shanghai was also Tesla's first wholly foreign-owned car factory in China, a historic milestone for the Chinese automotive industry.

The factory occupies approximately 86 hectares in a free-trade zone near Shanghai's deep-water port, providing efficient logistics for both domestic distribution and international exports. Its location gives Tesla direct access to China -- the world's largest automotive market.

Production & Vehicles

Giga Shanghai produces both the Model 3 and Model Y, making it the only factory currently building both of Tesla's highest-volume vehicles. With an annual production capacity exceeding 950,000 units, it is Tesla's most productive factory -- accounting for roughly half of Tesla's global vehicle output.

The factory achieves remarkable production efficiency, rolling a finished vehicle off the line approximately every 40 seconds. This efficiency stems from high levels of automation, a well-trained local workforce, and continuous process optimization. Shanghai-built Teslas have consistently earned high quality ratings.

Beyond serving the massive Chinese domestic market, Giga Shanghai functions as Tesla's primary export hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Vehicles are shipped to Australia, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other markets. Before Giga Berlin reached full production, Shanghai also supplied vehicles to European customers.

Manufacturing Innovation

Giga Shanghai has served as Tesla's manufacturing testbed, pioneering production techniques later adopted at other factories. The facility was among the first to implement advanced mega-casting technology, which produces large single-piece aluminum components that replace many smaller stamped and welded parts.

The Shanghai team has also achieved the highest supply chain localization rate among Tesla's factories, sourcing over 95% of components from Chinese suppliers. This deep localization reduces costs, shortens lead times, and insulates production from international supply chain disruptions. Innovations developed at Giga Shanghai frequently transfer to Giga Berlin and Giga Texas.