(Yicai Global) April 20 -- Tesla’s gigafactory in Shanghai has restarted vehicle production following a three-week halt caused by the Covid-19 outbreak in the Chinese city.

Some 8,000 employees arrived at the plant yesterday and will be working on single-shift duty for the next three to four days, the US car giant said yesterday, adding that it had completed preparatory work on April 18.

Its car parts inventory is expected to be enough for a week’s production, but output capacity will need to be adjusted based on supplies, a source at Tesla told Yicai Global. With the support of government departments, the carmaker has actively promoted the resumption of operations at over 100 suppliers and sorted its logistics chain, the person added.

“The proportion of suppliers resuming operation in Shanghai is slightly higher and neighboring Jiangsu province also has been working hard on logistics so that our restart can go well,” a production manager at Tesla said.

Other automakers including Nio, FAW Group, GAC Group, and MBW Brilliance also have halted manufacturing due to the Covid-19 wave that has hit China since last month.

Tesla’s restart was made possible thanks to government support and coordination, another source at the automaker said, adding that staff had also made great efforts. The safety of employees remains priority, the person noted.

Tesla’s wholesale sales in China soared 85 percent to 65,800 units in March from a year earlier, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. In the first quarter, sales in the country reached 182,200, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the firm’s global total.

Editor: Futura Costaglione