Tesla Giga Shanghai’s Phase 2 construction is accelerating as the factory expands its parts production capacity. In a show of unbelievable speed and fortitude, Tesla China’s work on Giga Shanghai’s Phase 2 seems to be moving faster than the construction on Phase 1.
After Tesla released its official Q1 2020 report, it was evident that Giga Shanghai would play a significant role in the company’s future, especially during a global pandemic. As such, Giga Shanghai’s progress might be crucial at this time.
Based on recent reports from Chineses media, Phase 2 of Giga Shanghai is progressing rather quickly. At the rate Phase 2 construction is going, Giga Shanghai’s next building could be finished within a couple of weeks to months, beating the record it set with the Phase 1 building. 
Credit: Wuwa Vision
About a week ago, on March 30, Giga Shanghai finished laying out the foundation of Phase 2A and already started putting up pillars for the building. This week the cross beams or ceiling brackets for Giga Shanghai’s Phase 2A building seemed nearly complete—if not already finished.
Even more impressive was the fact that Giga Shanghai apparently took a holiday sometime between March 30 and April 7. “On April 7, the first working day after the Qingming holiday, the construction of the second phase of the Tesla Shanghai Super Factory in Lingang was fully resumed,” wrote ChinaNews.com. Without the holiday break, much more might have been done with Phase 2A within the past week.
While construction on Phase 2A accelerates, Tesla China may already be expanding its parts production capacity. Local Chinese media started reporting that Giga Shanghai would increase production capacity car parts early last month.
Giga Shanghai plans to boost parts production capacity by 73% and expand its local supply chain at the same time, according to local reports. Tesmanian had theorized that the increased production capacity revealed that Tesla was already preparing for the MIC Model 3 Long Range RWD.
Tesla Gigafactory 3 Shanghai Phase 2A Foundation Is Finished With Lightning Speed https://t.co/KxDY0uKY5Z pic.twitter.com/YKKDQMwO3n
— Tesmanian.com (@Tesmanian_com) March 30, 2020
As it turns out, there may be some validity to the theory. Just this week, there were reports that Giga Shanghai would start deliveries for the Model 3 Long Range either this week or the coming weeks. In contrast, some media stated that Tesla China just started producing the locally-made Long Range variant.
Either way, it is clear that Giga Shanghai will be producing or delivering the MIC Model 3 Long Range, and the factory will need to increase its parts production capacity to meet demand. Model 3 SR+ demand appears to have remained strong despite the global pandemic and the outbreak in China earlier this year. The Long Range variant is expected to yield similar numbers as the Standard Range Plus.
Featured Image Credit: ChinaNews.com
About the Author
Ma. Claribelle Deveza
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.
