Last Updated on October 26, 2020, 8:37 AM AST by Anthony Morris
According to Chinese media reports, Tesla would begin shipping made-in-China electric cars on Tuesday to Europe.
State-backed news outlet The Paper said on Monday that about 7,000 Model 3s which were made at the Shanghai gigafactory are set for arriving in Belgium by the end of next month, with planned deliveries to several countries including Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.
However, Tesla did not respond to a request for a comment immediately.
COVID-19 has hampered the ability of businesses around the world to resume work. The spread of the disease started within China earlier this year and has now stalled.
However, the pandemic is persistent in Europe and the United States and countries in the West continue to fight with concerns about a second wave.
Following past manufacturing issues, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said the automaker produced 143,036 vehicles in the third quarter of this year.
The company said that Model 3 production capacity for the Shanghai factory, has reached 250,000 units a year and the factory was opened a year ago.
Last week, Chinese regulators announced that Tesla recalls up to 48,442 of its US-made Model X and Model S cars which were sold to customers in China, because of potentially faulty and unsafe front and rear suspensions.
Helped by supportive government policies and less costly technology, analysts predict that Europe and China — the largest auto market in the world — will see significant growth in electric vehicle sales in the coming years.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
