Tesla's Megafactory opening in Shanghai shows 'speed and efficiency': VP

Tesla's new Megafactory, which produces energy-storage batteries known as Megapacks, officially went into production on Tuesday in Shanghai, showcasing the company's deepening cooperation and investment in China.

The Megafactory is the first of its kind outside the United States and is expected to significantly speed up Tesla's efforts to bring its clean energy storage solutions to power grids around the world.

It marks another major investment by the U.S. company in Shanghai following its Gigafactory car manufacturing plant, the company's largest plant outside the United States, which began operation in 2019.

The new facility was completed in just seven months. Mike Snyder, Tesla's Vice President, expressed words of appreciation for the exceptional speed and efficiency of the construction process while speaking at the launch ceremony.

"In May 2024, we announced to set up a new Megafactory in Lingang, Shanghai. In just seven months, the Tesla team went from breaking ground to completing construction, a truly inspiring achievement where we've witnessed the incredible speed and efficiency of Tesla and Shanghai once again," said Snyder.

Covering an area of approximately 200,000 square meters, the new Shanghai plant represents a total investment of about 1.45 billion yuan (around 198.36 million U.S. dollars), according to the administrative body that oversees the Lingang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, where this Tesla facility is located.

With an expected annual capacity of 10,000 Megapack units, equivalent to an energy storage capacity of nearly 40 gigawatt hours, the facility is set to double the company's total production capacity for the stationary batteries when combined with the Megafactory in California.

The plant is set to begin mass production in the first quarter of 2025.

"2025 will be a historic year for Tesla's energy business. We have and will continue to make significant investments in manufacturing capacity, and we expect energy storage deployments to grow over 50 percent year-over-year in 2025," he said.

As Tesla continues to expand its footprint in China, the new Megafactory is a testament to the potential cooperation between the world's two largest economies in the quest for a sustainable future.

Global energy transition giants like Tesla are looking to explore market opportunities in China as the country has been accelerating the energy transition to meet the dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060.

Tesla's Megafactory opening in Shanghai shows 'speed and efficiency': VP

Tesla's Megafactory opening in Shanghai shows 'speed and efficiency': VP

Tesla's Megafactory opening in Shanghai shows 'speed and efficiency': VP

Tesla's Megafactory opening in Shanghai shows 'speed and efficiency': VP

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the U.S. rhetoric suggesting possible intervention in the situation in Iran, urging all parties to pursue diplomacy and dialogue in line with the principles of the UN Charter, his spokesperson said on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration is weighing "some very strong options," including potential military action against Iran amid the unrest across the Middle East country.

At a press briefing Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, conveyed Guterres' alarm over the remarks.

"The rhetoric that we've heard around the situation in Iran, which is concerning to him (Guterres), and he encourages all to adopt a path of diplomacy and dialogue," said Dujarric.

"We push for dialogue, and I think the [UN] Charter is very clear on your question," Dujarric said when asked whether foreign intervention might help resolve the crisis. The UN Charter enshrines core principles including the sovereign equality of all states, non-intervention in the affairs of other states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

These norms were further reinforced by the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law, adopted by the UN General Assembly, which explicitly states that no state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the national currency rial and long-standing economic hardships. The reported death toll from the unrest on both sides of the security forces and civilians is mounting.

UN chief urges diplomacy amid US military threats against Iran: spokesperson