--U.S. carmaker Tesla began exporting its made-in-China Model 3 to Europe on Tuesday, signaling the rapid development of foreign automakers in China amid the country's opening up of the auto sector.
--Exporting made-in-China Model 3 sedans to Europe is a milestone in the development of the Tesla Shanghai gigafactory, proving to the world China's speed in construction as well as the quality of made-in-China products, said Tom Zhu, vice president of Tesla Global and president of Tesla Greater China.
--As China further relaxes restrictions on foreign ownership in the auto industry and boosts development of NEVs, more foreign carmakers are eyeing the growing Chinese market.
by Xinhua writers Zhou Rui, Cheng Lu and Wang He
SHANGHAI, Oct. 27 -- U.S. carmaker Tesla began exporting its made-in-China Model 3 to Europe on Tuesday, signaling the rapid development of foreign automakers in China amid the country's opening up of the auto sector.
The first batch of 7,000 sedans manufactured by Tesla Shanghai gigafactory, the company's first overseas plant, departed from Shanghai by sea. They are expected to arrive at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium at the end of November, and sold in European countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.
Photo taken on Oct. 26, 2020 shows the Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicles at its gigafactory in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)
"Despite the impact of COVID-19, the construction and operation of the gigafactory maintained rapid progress with the support and help of Chinese governments at all levels and partners," said Tom Zhu, vice president of Tesla Global and president of Tesla Greater China.
Exporting made-in-China Model 3 sedans to Europe is a milestone in the development of the Tesla Shanghai gigafactory, proving to the world China's speed in construction as well as the quality of made-in-China products, said Zhu.
Tesla will continuously improve its production, sales, after-sales service and infrastructure in the country by honoring its China investment commitment, Zhu said.
Tesla's gigafactory is the first solely foreign-invested car plant after China's scrapping of caps on foreign ownership of new energy vehicle (NEV) ventures, according to Chen Yin, executive deputy mayor of Shanghai.
The factory broke ground in early 2019 in Lingang Area, a new section of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone. Earlier this year, Tesla began to deliver made-in-China Model 3 sedans to the public.
The Shanghai plant had churned out more than 85,000 vehicles with an industrial output of over 21.6 billion yuan (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of September, with the weekly production stabilizing at 3,500 to 4,000 vehicles. Exports of vehicles and batteries by the plant are estimated to reach 450 million U.S. dollars within the year, Chen said.
