Tesla China Produces Record 74k Vehicles In February Despite Model 3 Production Shutdown

Tesla has been growing vehicle production at an incredible pace. And even more impressively, the EV maker is achieving this growth at the same time, the entire automotive industry has been forced to cut production due to the worldwide supply disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the most significant growth center for the EV maker has been Giga Shanghai. Within three years of the groundbreaking ceremony, Tesla's China factory has already surpassed an annual production run rate of over 1,000,000 vehicles.

This makes Giga Shanghai Tesla’s biggest production hub surpassing the decade-old Fremont California plant. For instance, last November, Tesla hit a new wholesale record out of Giga Shanghai producing 100,291 vehicles in a single month.

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November’s number was a 192 percent growth year over year and a 14 percent increase month over month.
However, the rapid growth seemed to be stabilizing. According to the wholesale number released by China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla’s production was down to 55,796 in December.

However, January numbers showed some revival with Tesla China producing and selling 66,051 vehicles in the first month of the year. This is a 10% growth year over year and an 18% growth month over month.

And the momentum seems to be continuing in February with Tesla producing 74,402 vehicles in the shortest month. February’s numbers are a 31% growth year over year, and a 13% growth month over month

Out of the total February sales, it’s not yet known what percent was sold locally and what percent was exported to other countries. We also have yet to learn what the proportion of sales is between Model Y and Model 3.

NEWS: Tesla sold 74,402 China-made cars in February, up 31.65% from a year earlier, the CPCA said on Friday.That was up 12.6% from January, when Tesla sold 66,051 China-made Model 3 and Model Ys.https://t.co/0w5W2trBgl— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 3, 2023

And making Tesla’s February number even more impressive, the EV maker has shut down the Model 3 production line since February 16 in order to make upgrades to the factory to produce a refreshed version of the all-electric sedan.

This means Tesla was able to set a new January production record despite having to shut down the Giga Shanghai Model 3 production line for almost half of the month. Currently, the upgrades are expected to take a month, and Model 3 production is expected to restart in the middle of March.

We will be sure to keep you posted on Tesla China’s performance and the Model 3 refresh as more information comes out. Until then make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.

So what do you think? Are you happy with Tesla China’s performance in February? Do you think the EV maker will be able to return to November’s record production next month? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Courtesy of Tesla

For more information check out: Tesla's Innovative Electric Cars: Breakthroughs In Manufacturing And Cost-Savings

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.