Tesla Shanghai Inc was among the latest list of auto manufacturers in China, according to a document published on the website of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
This means the popular U.S. electric car maker can finally start mass production in the Shanghai Gigafactory of its Model 3 cars, which starts at 355,800 yuan ($50,000) and delivery will begin in the first quarter of next year.
After months of site selection and final negotiations, Tesla broke ground on the Shanghai Gigafactory in January of this year.
The factory took shape at a rapid pace, with construction workers operating around the clock to raise the giant building out of what was a field of mud.
Tesla on October 24 announced the Shanghai Gigafactory is “ready for production” and the new Gigafactory cost 65 percent less than the Model 3 production system it built out in the US, which is scattered between the Gigafactory in Nevada and the company’s original factory in Fremont, California.
On October 25, Tesla announced the Model 3 pre-orders are available for the first time to local customers in China.
The model with an autopilot function has a range of 460 kilometers on a full charge. The time to speed up to 100 km/h takes 5.6 seconds.
