In a testament to Tesla’s rapid construction capabilities, the company’s new Megapack factory in Shanghai has reached a significant milestone. Local media outlet IT Home reported on Saturday that the facility is now 60 percent complete, showcasing remarkable progress since breaking ground just four months ago.
The Shanghai Megafactory, designed to produce Tesla’s grid-scale energy storage units, is on track to begin production in the first quarter of 2025. This ambitious timeline mirrors the swift development seen in Tesla’s other Chinese ventures, most notably the nearby Gigafactory Shanghai.
Construction of the Megafactory has moved at a blistering pace since the project’s official groundbreaking on May 23, 2024. The speed of development is particularly impressive considering that building materials only began arriving at the site in March, following a signing ceremony held last December.
Located in Shanghai’s Lingang New Area industrial park, the new facility sprawls across approximately 200,000 square meters (about 656,168 square feet). Once fully operational, it’s expected to match the output of Tesla’s Lathrop, California plant, with both facilities aiming for an annual production of around 40GWh – equivalent to roughly 10,000 Megapack units per year.
This rapid expansion of Tesla’s energy storage capabilities comes at a time of surging demand for the company’s grid-scale products. In the second quarter of 2024, Tesla reported record-breaking energy deployments, installing 9.4 GWh of battery storage. This impressive figure followed a strong first quarter, which saw 4.1 GWh deployed – a 157 percent increase year-over-year.
The growth in Tesla’s energy business aligns with CEO Elon Musk’s prediction that energy sales growth would soon outpace that of the company’s automotive sector. With the Shanghai Megafactory progressing rapidly and the Lathrop facility ramping up production, Tesla appears well-positioned to meet the increasing global demand for large-scale energy storage solutions.
As construction continues at its impressive clip, industry watchers and Tesla enthusiasts alike are keenly observing the company’s ability to meet its ambitious production timeline. If successful, the Shanghai Megafactory will play a crucial role in Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, providing critical infrastructure for renewable energy integration and grid stability.
