Power Surge: Tesla's Project Highland Triggers Battery Production Expansion at Giga Shanghai

August 24, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

Tesla to ramp up battery production in Shanghai

Tesla

Tesla's Model 3 refresh - Highland - is in demand in China. Reports indicate a dramatic "explosion" of orders expected to start flooding in soon. Set for delivery by the end of September 2023, Tesla is bracing itself to meet its ambitious targets with a series of strategic moves, per local Chinese news outlets, including 36kr.

Production Scale-Up

Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai is resuming operations at its Phase 1 battery production line to cater to this growing demand. This is after a recent shutdown for essential upgrades and changes, including implementing automated machinery that reduced the workforce.

Phase 1 of the Shanghai plant's battery production line has 3,000 to 4,000 packs of weekly capacity. Coupled with Phase 2 and Phase 2.2, which can churn out 10,000 units weekly, the combined monthly output reaches a staggering 100,000 units. This number was further elevated following battery suppliers Ningde Times and LG Chem settling in by the end of 2022.

The restructuring at the Shanghai facility also saw some workers from the Phase 1 battery production line laid off in June 2023, with options to transfer to other workshops like stamping, painting, and general assembly. With the restart of Phase 1, battery production line personnel are returning to work.

Giga Shanghai: A Hub of Innovation

Giga Shanghai has been a core hub for Tesla's production innovation. With three distinct phases of battery production, it's ready to tackle the surging demand for Project Highland. The plant's capacity of around 100,000 battery packs per month represents a key element in Tesla's strategy to make the Project Highland version of Model 3 a success.

Phase 1, being the oldest, has the least automation and was previously stopped due to its lower efficiency. The recent move to bring it back to life emphasizes Tesla's commitment to meeting the expected surge in demand.

Project Highland's Global Impact

The excitement around the new Model 3 isn't confined to China alone. Reports note that the mass production of the updated Model 3 has impacted Europe's delivery schedules, pushing back to October-November. The delay signifies the extent to which Tesla's new offering has affected the global automotive scene.

The enthusiasm around Project Highland's Model 3 comes from leaked images and spy shots hinting at a revamped version with redesigned headlamps, taillamps, a new dashboard, and refreshed door panels. Recent reports indicate that potential buyers are holding off on current Model 3 deals, eagerly awaiting the new release.

The strategic moves by Tesla, including the rapid adaptation of its Shanghai plant's battery production lines, reflect the brand's agility and commitment to remaining at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution. As September draws near, all eyes are on Tesla's official launch of the revamped Model 3 in China, a move that could influence the Chinese market and set new standards across the global automotive landscape.

Tesla FSD V12.4 - Features and Release Date

May 16, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

The greatly anticipated FSD v12.4 is around the corner, with Elon Musk mentioning that it will be going to employees this weekend, with limited external testers next week.

Several significant improvements are coming with V12.4, which is being compared to the leap in performance that was previously seen between V12 and V11.

Improved Comfort and Reduced Interventions

There are quite a few improvements expected with V12.4, which Musk has said will be focused on user comfort by reducing hard accelerations and sudden braking. According to Musk, FSD v12.4 is also expected to have a 5-10x improvement in time between user interventions, which means that Tesla is rapidly approaching its goal for the Robotaxi announcement on August 8, 2024.

Steering Wheel Nag Removal

FSD V12.4 is expected to eliminate the steering wheel nag, as Musk confirmed its removal last week. The camera-based driver monitoring system will be taking over, providing a hands-free experience. These improvements will most likely benefit owners who have cabin cameras with infrared lights the most, while Tesla may continue to use steering wheel nag as a fallback mechanism.

Driverless Autopark

The second key feature that may be included in v12.4 will be Banish Autopark, previously known as Reverse Summon, allowing you to choose a parking spot, exit the vehicle and have the car park itself. Whether this feature makes it in v12.4 is yet to be seen, but Musk has mentioned that parking without a driver is coming soon.

Automatically Seek Parking Spot at Destination

Finally, your Tesla will now traverse a parking lot and automatically enter Autopark mode when arriving at a destination, according to a post from Musk.

Eligibility and Branch

Tesla recently added FSD v12.3.6 to the 2024.14 branch with updates 2024.14.5 and 2024.14.6. This makes it very likely that Tesla’s next FSD version will also be based on 2024.14, meaning that it will be available to any vehicle on 2024.14.x.

For users on update 2024.3.25, this means that they’ll receive all of the features included in updates 2024.8 and 2024.14, which should make it a massive update.

Release Date

Musk has mentioned that FSD V12.4 is going out to employee vehicles for internal testing this weekend, with external testing starting next week. The rollouts typically go slower than predicted but looks like we may see this begin shipping to customers by the end of the month.

U.S. Raising Tariff Rates on Imported EVs and Batteries From China: How It Affects Tesla

May 15, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Today, as part of a broader change of tariff rates on Chinese goods, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he’ll raise tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, increasing the rate from 25% to 100%, effective this year.

This increase won’t just impact the import of vehicles, but also the rate for lithium-ion batteries produced in China, which will be moving from 7.5% to 25%.

Impact on Competition

The immediate impact of this new regulation is significant for Chinese manufacturers, who have been regarded as Tesla’s largest and greatest competition. Given the tariff hike, this means that new Chinese manufacturers, such as Nio, XPeng, or BYD, will either need to set up production in North America, or be subject to the increased import tariff.

Nio’s vehicles cost between $40,000 USD to $70,000 USD in China based on today’s conversion rates, and with an import tariff of 100%, an imported vehicle’s price would be doubled to $80,000 USD to $140,000 USD, not including other fees. Chinese manufacturers will have to closely weigh the advantages and disadvantages of opening up the North American market, with challenges including vehicle homologation, new tariffs, and a difficult EV market.

Tesla and Chinese Tariffs

Elon Musk recently visited China, engaging with officials to build a foundation for what is currently the world’s largest electric vehicle market. With the potential import of Chinese EVs becoming restricted to the United States, this places Tesla in an advantageous position over its Chinese competitors who have yet to establish their brands in North America.

On the other hand, this could also impact Tesla, as they import Chinese batteries for usage in some vehicles in the United States.

Tesla does not import Gigafactory Shanghai vehicles to the US, but has been increasing North American battery production lately, with expansions in Lathrop, California and a new facility in Sparks, Nevada.

Canadian Tariffs

In Canada, the Model 3 and Model Y are currently being imported from Gigafactory Shanghai. Given Canada’s close following of US foreign policy, this could impact either the prices of Tesla vehicles in Canada or have Tesla shipping vehicles from Fremont and Texas to the United States once again, should Canada also adopt a similar tariff policy.