In just 168 days, Tesla moved from initial permitting procedures to a functional automotive manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China, unofficially coined Gigafactory 3. We will say that it's somewhat strange that this is a referred to as a Gigafactory since it's not a battery factory, but instead, a factory that will produce the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

When Tesla first announced plans for an automotive factory in China, many skeptics and naysayers were sure it couldn't / wouldn't ever come to fruition, at least not quickly, if ever. This was due in part to the Silicon Valley automaker's financial situation, among other concerns.

Moreover, sad but true, CEO Elon Musk has proven a track record for tough and potentially unsurmountable timelines, in addition to projects that seem to fall behind, get put on a temporary hold, or never actually materialize.