Tesla aims to resume production at Giga Shanghai on April 4, report says
Update: Added information from the latest Bloomberg report.
Tesla Giga Shanghai produces about 6,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles a week, according to Reuters.
After production was suspended for a week because of Covid controls, the Tesla Shanghai plant is reportedly on the verge of resuming production.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is aiming to resume production at Giga Shanghai on Monday, as it expects the first batch of workers to be released from the Covid lockdown, a Reuters report said today.
However, the report also noted that Tesla's plans to resume production could change because of Shanghai's Covid policy.
Tesla Giga Shanghai's shutdown since March 28 is one of the longest at the plant since production began in late 2019, the report said, adding that the plant produces about 6,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles a week.
Hours later, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla Giga Shanghai will remain closed on Monday.
Tesla told employees on Sunday that existing Covid restrictions remain in place and asked staff to stay home and abide by community orders.
The Shanghai government issued an announcement on the evening of March 27 that the city would enter a phased lockdown for Covid testing.
The area to the east of the Huangpu River, where the Tesla Shanghai plant is located, will be put into lockdown starting at 5:00 on March 28. The area to the west of the Huangpu River will be put into lockdown starting at 3:00 on April 1.
On March 28, another Reuters report said Tesla Giga Shanghai would suspend production for four days to comply with the city's policy on Covid control.
On March 31, Reuters said Tesla initially planned to resume production at Giga Shanghai on April 1, but had canceled plans.
Despite ongoing supply chain challenges and plant shutdowns, Tesla produced more than 305,000 vehicles and delivered more than 310,000 vehicles in the first quarter, the company said Saturday.
Tesla delivered 310,048 vehicles in the first quarter, an all-time high and up 67.77 percent from 184,800 vehicles in the same period last year. But that was up just 0.47 percent from 308,600 vehicles in the fourth quarter of last year.
"This was an *exceptionally* difficult quarter due to supply chain interruptions & China zero Covid policy," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet after the delivery data was published.