Tesla quietly completes Giga Shanghai’s battery and powertrain factory shell

Amidst the constant updates from Tesla’s ongoing initiatives across the globe, it is easy to lose track of some projects’ progress. Take Giga Shanghai, for example. The massive facility made headlines earlier this month when Elon Musk attended the first customer handover ceremony for the Made-in-China Model 3. But beyond this, it appears that Tesla has also quietly completed the factory shell of Giga Shanghai’s battery and powertrain facility. 

Giga Shanghai’s battery facility was started after the massive vehicle assembly building was finished last year. Initially speculated to be Phase 2 of the Giga Shanghai project, it eventually became evident that the new building represented more of a Phase 1.5, as it will primarily be a companion for the general assembly building. 

The progress of the battery facility’s construction has been incredibly rapid, beating even the incredible speed of the Phase 1 zone’s construction. Yet as Tesla started delivering the MIC Model 3, first to employees and later to customers, Phase 1.5’s updates were moved to the back burner. Yet despite this, it appears that work has continued at full speed on the Giga Shanghai complex. 

A recent video from drone operator Wuwa Vision revealed that the factory shell of Giga Shanghai’s battery facility had been completed. Little is known if the interior of the large building is finished as well, but it wouldn’t be surprising if tooling is already taking place. When the factory shell of Phase 1’s general assembly building was completed, after all, some of the facility’s interior was already being tooled for Model 3 production. 

With Giga Shanghai’s battery facility likely nearing operation, Tesla China could produce the MIC Model 3 at a larger scale than before. The completion of the building also bodes well for China’s Model Y program, which was announced earlier this month. With a battery facility assembling packs and drivetrains at the Giga Shanghai complex, Tesla will likely be able to ramp the MIC Model Y quicker than expected. 

Just as predicted by Tesla bulls, there is a good chance that Giga Shanghai will be the electric car maker’s trump card this year. With the facility cranking out Model 3s for local customers, Tesla will likely see a good sales bump in the Chinese market. This could also pave the way for Tesla to start saturating China in preparation for the Model Y crossover, a vehicle that would take on one of the country’s most popular segments.

Watch a recent drone flyover of the Giga Shanghai complex in the video below.

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