Shanghai (ZXZC)- The new energy vehicle (NEV) industry in Shanghai’s Lin-gang Special Area, where Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory is located, has seen the overall production capacity utilization rate recover to nearly 46% as of May 16, Wu Xiaohua, a Lin-gang Special Area official, said on May 17 at a press conference.

Model 3; photo credit: Tesla

The capacity utilization rate of SAIC Motor and Tesla in this area has reached 50% and 45% respectively, while the rate for the supporting firms along automotive industrial chain has picked up to around 50% on average.

Meanwhile, the integrated circuit industry in Lin-gang Special Area, which includes such main players as ZINGSEMI and GTA Semiconductor, is working at full capacity, while the high-end equipment manufacturing domain has restored its general capacity utilization rate to about 50%.

As of May 16, there have been 301 enterprises in Lin-gang Special Area resuming operations, accounting for 95.6% of the total enterprise volume, according to Mr. Wu. Besides, over 51,000 employees have already returned to work, making up 69% of the overall workforce in the area.

Tesla partially resumed production at its Shanghai plant on April 19. According to data by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the U.S. EV manufacturer produced 10,757 vehicles last month at the Gigafactory 3 under one shift. Since the factory reopened, Tesla has made two batches of exports, with over 8,000 electric vehicles loaded.