In Europe, the Russian attack on Ukraine is affecting the availability of components for electric cars – and in China, the corona virus is once again causing Tesla to have to interrupt production. According to reports from the weekend, the authorities there imposed a lockdown in two parts over the metropolis of Shanghai due to the sharp increase in the number of infections. From Monday to April 1, i.e. for four days, it will initially apply to the districts east of the Huangpu River, where the Tesla Gigafactory is located.
Second Tesla pause in March
Tesla production in China had to be suspended for two days in mid-March due to new corona measures . At the time it was said that the company wanted to try to prevent a further or longer interruption by offering overnight accommodation at the factory. But this plan doesn’t seem to be working. Because the news agencies Reuters and Bloomberg reported on Sunday in the same way that Tesla also had to pause until the beginning of April due to the Shanghai lockdown. Later, however, Bloomberg only spoke of at least one day.
According to the Bloomberg report , production in China will initially be suspended this Monday, according to informed people. Tesla has not yet informed its workforce how things will continue after that. Reuters further reported four days of disruption . On Sunday, Tesla ordered workers into the factory with a plan to stay and work through the lockdown. In the evening, however, they were allowed to go because not enough food could be organized for them.
China parts for German Gigafactory
The late lockdowns should no longer affect sales in China and Europe in the first quarter, but they will affect production – together with the two days from mid-March, Tesla would be missing six days for this. In addition, the drastic decision by the Chinese authorities shows that the corona problems are not yet over, so that further lockdowns that directly or indirectly affect Tesla could follow. The newly opened German Gigafactory near Berlin is still dependent on Tesla components from China , such as battery packs and drive units.