Tesla Starts V3 Supercharger Production at Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai as Chinese EV Rivalry Heats Up

The news comes as the Paolo Alto-based automaker reached a milestone of 730 supercharging stations across China, with 20,000 chargers at over 2,000 stations globally, Pandaily reported.
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US electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Motors has begun producing its V3 superchargers at its Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, it was announced in a blog post on the company's China Charging Team this week.

According to the company, the factory will reach an output production of 10,000 charging stations a year. The V3 stations can add 250 km after a 15 minute charge, Tesla added.

"Production in China will not only widen the use of the world's top charging equipment in the country, but also contribute to the upgrading of China's overall charging infrastructure", the blog post read.

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The news comes as Tesla saw massive growth in the world's largest EV market, namely after 140,000 Model 3 units were delivered in January. The Shanghai Gigafactory 3 also manufactures lower-cost Model Y sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

"An expanded charging network will spur sales of its cars, as consumers feel more confident in driving Tesla models. The quick pace of construction of the plant shows that Tesla is prepared to ramp up production to meet the surging demand here", independent analyst Gao Shen said as quoted by Pandaily.

Tesla completed the 5,000 square metre facility in August of last year after six months of construction, costing 42 million yuan ($5.6 million).

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 In May 2020, Tesla recorded top sales reaching 11,364 vehicle registrations in China despite the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) found.

Beijing launched its Made in China 2025 programme, which set the number of EVs in China's market at roughly 20 percent, or 4 million vehicles, prompting further competition from foreign companies.

Numerous rival automakers, including Volkswagen and BMW, have pledged massive funding in China's new electric vehicles (NEV) market, including a €15 billion investment from the Volkswagen Group's Chinese operations in September of last year.

 

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