All photos by Jason Yang / YouTube
Construction of Phase 2 in Giga Shanghai continues at a rapid pace. The exterior work is almost complete and equipment installation is underway, hinting that the facility will soon be operational. In a few months, we will see made-in-China Model Y rolling out from the assembly line.
The new drone video from Jason Yang / YouTube demonstrates the colossal work done by the builders, and the result of their work is just amazing. The main buildings in Giga Shanghai are almost complete. Phase 2A, also known as Tesla Giga Shanghai's Model Y production building, appears to be totally finished.
Of course, some work is still pending completion, but in just five months, the empty territory turned into a complex of almost entirely completed buildings. Despite the fact that Phase 2A is several times larger than Phase 1, its construction is proceeding at a faster pace. Tesla China is making excellent use of its Phase 1 experience.
At the moment, internal construction work is underway. The main focus is on equipment installation, as the production of Model Y is due to begin in just a few months. There are many containers of equipment around the building.
Giga Shanghai ordered machinery from Miracle Automation for Phase 2. Earlier, Miracle Automation supplied RMB ¥ 420M worth of conveyers to Giga Shanghai's Model 3 production plant for the assembly line and paint shop.
The Model Y building will also have Tesla's bespoke OL 6100 CS Giga Press machines from IDRA Group. First photos of the gargantuan piece of machinery, as well as robots for the upcoming Model Y production line, was included in the electric car maker’s recently-released Q2 2020 Update Letter.
The image provided by Tesla proves that the company is indeed hard at work outfitting the newly-constructed building for Model Y production. The facility's casting machine, in particular, is very impressive, commanding a massive space on the factory floor. Tesla did not provide much context about the image, but it appears that the Model Y casting machine is all but set up.
Overall, the images from Giga Shanghai suggest that Model Y production, or at least a trial run for the all-electric crossover, could begin sometime later this year. This should allow the company to refine its operations in the Phase 2A area to such a degree that the facility would be able to support a full production ramp by the first quarter of 2021.
Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter