Tesla Resumes Operations At Giga Shanghai In China

February 10th, 2020 by Johnna Crider

Tesla has resumed operations in China. Its Gigafactory 3 (Giga Shanghai) was temporarily halted, along with all manufacturing operations in China, by the Chinese government in order to focus on containing the spread of the coronavirus. Tesmanian just shared a few photos of Gigafactory 3 employees walking outside and shuttle buses transporting employees to work. The buses were seen at 7:50 in the morning.

Tesla employees were also seen wearing masks over their faces and their employee badges. The masks, of course, are to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in case anyone on staff is infected.

The Global Times of China reports that even though this is good news for local authorities trying to get business rolling again in the midst of the coronavirus, it should be made clear that just because Tesla is resuming operations doesn’t mean that its production will return to normal right away.

“If anything, the outbreak will be a test for Tesla in terms of the flexibility of its supply chain,” Global Times says. Right now, it is still not clear as to when this epidemic will be fully contained, but the fact that Tesla is resuming operations give hope — or just a sign that China is becoming economically desperate.

Global Times believes that the epidemic will have a major impact on Tesla, which might be reflected in its quarterly deliveries and market valuation. Tesla’s China Vice President, Tao Lin, previously announced on Weibo that deliveries of vehicles in early February will be delayed.

The Global Times article wasn’t overly optimistic, but it seemed realistic with a touch of pessimism — sometimes the truth can be like that. An outbreak of a harsh fast-spreading disease can be quite daunting, and we need to be realistic when it comes to the effects this outbreak could have on businesses. Tesla critics may think this is the end for Tesla, but those who believe in the company know that this is just another bump in the road — one of many over the years. It is a bump that will be felt, but one that I think will add to Tesla’s own story of success.

China shutting down all manufacturing operations — not just Tesla’s — was the right thing to do for the safety of its citizens and people around the world. Hopefully a cure for the coronavirus will be developed — or at least a vaccine. One thing to take note of is that, as Tesla resumes operations, we can perhaps see a small ray of hope that China is making some type of headway with this virus. Perhaps.

Feature images courtesy Tesla.











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