Tesla confirmed on Monday what many have been speculating, that Shanghai-made Model Y vehicles have been exported to Europe for the first time.
According to the South China Morning Post, Tesla said it shipped 8,210 Model Y compact crossover SUVs to Europe in July.
“It goes without saying that the Shanghai Gigafactory is playing a strategic role in Tesla’s global layout,” said Tesla in a statement to the SCMP. Tesla said new Model Y shipments are being exported to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Tesla launched the Model Y in China back in January of this year, and since then the new electric vehicle has seen intense demand in the country.
The Model Y units for Europe were made at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, with the company noting the new factory has become its main export vehicle hub.
Tesla previously sold nearly 33,000 Shanghai-made vehicles in July, with the bulk of these sent for export.
With Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin still under construction and set to be complete by the end of this year, the Gigafactory in Shanghai is filling the void, for now.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last week production of the Model Y in Germany could start as early as October, after visiting the site and meeting with local officials.
