Tesla China factory expansion is questionable

development of Tesla Shanghai’s Shanghai plant has been postponed due to data concerns that could derail the ambitions of U.S. EV makers to sustain growth in China, according to people familiar with the matter.

The so-called Phase 3 expansion, which was originally scheduled to begin in mid-year, will double the factory’s capacity, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is said that it increased to about 2 million units per year.

Some central government officials Elon MuskStarlink, its internet-from-space initiative, has a very large presence in Asia’s largest economy, one of the people said. Tesla’s cars are not equipped with Starlink equipment that allows users to bypass China’s Great Firewall, but the Chinese government has become increasingly concerned about data security and social stability. I’m here.

Musk is CEO of both Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, which began launching Starlink satellites in 2019. regular transactions.

The delay coincides with growing public antipathy to Tesla amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.angry tesla owner crowd showroom In China over the weekend, I complained about missing the next price cut opportunity. Tesla was also banned from entering Chinese military and residential installations in early 2021 due to concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into its vehicles.

A Tesla representative in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative of China’s National Development and Reform Commission did not respond to a faxed request for comment.

Phases 1 and 2 of Tesla’s Shanghai factory construction and expansion have already been completed. The factory, which broke ground in 2019, is now capable of producing 1 million Model 3 and Model Y per year after an upgrade in 2022.

The future of Phase 3 could still change pending further guidance from senior central government officials, one of the people said. Tesla has the backing of local Shanghai officials, the people said.

China has become a key manufacturing center for Tesla, which is based in Austin, Texas, with its Shanghai factory producing more than 710,000 vehicles in 2022, or about 52% of the company’s global output. But consumer demand in China, the world’s largest car and EV market, has been hit by slowing economic growth and until recently he was Covid Zero compliant, resulting in months of lockdown. Downs and supply chain disruptions occurred.

To combat this, Tesla is cutting prices and maintaining incentives. Still, December shipments dipped to around 56,000 units as production was temporarily halted due to equipment upgrades and weak consumer demand. Meanwhile, local rival BYD Co. shipped 111,939 battery electric vehicles last month.

As its business in China stalls, Tesla is expanding in other parts of Asia, including opening a showroom in Thailand. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the automakers are nearing a preliminary agreement to set up a factory in Indonesia that will produce one million cars a year.