Tesla’s 5 Millionth Vehicle Globally Rolls off the Production Line in Shanghai
On September 17th, Tesla announced that the 5 millionth vehicle globally has officially rolled off the production line at Gigafactory Shanghai.
The first 1 million vehicles of Tesla were produced in a total of 12 years. The second 1 million vehicles took 18 months to produce, the third 1 million vehicles took 11 months, the fourth 1 million vehicles took 7 months, and the fifth 1 million vehicles only took 6 months.
Behind the “Tesla speed” lies the support of “Chinese speed” as well. On September 6th, the Gigafactory Shanghai officially rolled out its two millionth vehicle. It took Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai 33 months to go from zero to one million vehicles, and only 13 months to reach two million vehicles.
In January 2019, Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai started construction. In November of the same year, the factory began trial production, and on December 30th, the first batch of Model 3 was delivered. This speed of “starting construction, commencing production, and delivering vehicles in the same year” remains a legend in the automotive industry.
On September 6th, the Gigafactory Shanghai of Tesla produced its two millionth vehicle, which means that in less than four years since the production of the first vehicle, this factory has reached a milestone of two million vehicles. It has become Tesla’s most efficient Gigafactory in terms of car manufacturing.
SEE ALSO: Tesla’s New Model 3 Enters Mass Production at Gigafactory Shanghai
According to reports, the automation rate of Gigafactory Shanghai has reached 95%. With the assistance of automated production lines, tasks that previously required thousands of people can now be completed by just a few dozen. In terms of spatial layout, Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai adopts a design with linear and double-layered buildings. The transportation of vehicle components within the factory not only involves horizontal movement but also vertical transport, greatly improving space utilization.
The combination of various advantages allows Gigafactory Shanghai to produce a complete vehicle in less than 40 seconds, which is highly efficient and rare worldwide. Thanks to its high efficiency in car manufacturing, Gigafactory Shanghai has become the “C-position” for Tesla’s global exports, supporting half of Tesla’s production volume.
On August 9th, BYD officially rolled off its 5 millionth new energy vehicle, becoming the first automotive brand in the world to achieve this milestone. And now, Tesla has also officially rolled off its 5 millionth car globally. This also means that the competition between the two in terms of sales has entered a new phase, and who will be the first to achieve 10 million units sold remains unknown.
