A Shanghai government official confirmed that Tesla's Gigafactory will be completed by May, with production lines expected to begin operations by year-end, according to reports from March 2019.
The announcement came from Chen Mingbo, head of the city’s economic and information technology commission, who made the remarks during a parliamentary session in Beijing. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had previously stated the facility would finish initial construction by summer 2019, aiming to start Model 3 production by year’s end.
The 500,000-vehicle-capacity plant marked China’s first fully foreign-owned auto factory, reflecting broader market liberalization efforts. However, Tesla faced temporary import disruptions in March 2019 when Chinese customs halted Model 3 shipments over missing Chinese warning labels and incorrect nameplates.
Chinese customs confirmed the suspension on March 6, 2019, stating the issue could be resolved at the port. Tesla reported authorities had accepted its corrective plan, though the delay raised concerns about trade war impacts on sales. The company had been accelerating local production to mitigate tariffs affecting U.S.-made vehicles in China.
