Tesla makes first shipment of cars from reopened Shanghai plant – media

Tesla logo seen at its factory in Shanghai, China, May 13, 2021. REUTERS / Aly Song

SHANGHAI, May 11 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc. (TSLA.O) on Wednesday sent a shipment of 4,767 vehicles from its Shanghai plant to Slovenia, the first batch of exports since the factory reopened on April 19, government-backed Shanghai media reported an observer. .

The Glvois Splendor set sail from Shanghai early Wednesday in Tesla cars and headed for the port of Koper in Slovenia, according to the Shanghai-based journalist.

Tesla also arranged for 4,100 vehicles on Friday, he said, adding that the carmaker aims to export 300,000 cars from Shanghai in 2022.

“Tesla was in a hurry to freshly load the cars from the ship’s production lines yesterday afternoon,” the Shanghai Observer was quoted as saying.

Tesla did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Tesla did not export any Chinese-made Model 3 or Model Y from the Shanghai plant in April, the China Automobile Association said on Tuesday, as China’s zero-COVID-19 policies disrupted production and logistics.

The shipment marks further efforts to restore normal operations at Tesla’s Shanghai plant, which makes the Model 3 and Model Y for sale in China and for export to other markets.

The factory reopened on April 19 with the help of the Shanghai government and was widely covered by Chinese state media. It was shown as an example of how the city is trying to keep business open, while following a strict COVID policy.

Telsa produced 10,757 cars at its plant in Shanghai in April and set a goal of achieving a daily output of 2,600 cars a day from May 16, Reuters reported earlier. Read more

However, the goal was prompted by supply and logistics problems, as the plant was operating well below capacity on Tuesday, indicating the problems facing factories trying to increase production while tightening the COVID-19 blockade in the city. Read more

Report by Jan Yan and Brenda Go; Edited by Christopher Cushing and Jacqueline Wong

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