Tesla to start building cars in China: Report

San Francisco, Oct 19 (IANS) Electric Vehicle (EV) maker Tesla has got an approval to manufacture cars in China and the company is building a $2 billion factory in Shanghai, its first manufacturing unit outside the US, the media has reported.

Tesla plans to build at least 1,000 of its Model 3s each week in the Chinese factory, which could be up and running within weeks, the BBC has reported.

The new factory will give Elon Musk's Tesla access to China which is incidentally the world's largest car market.

A Chinese tech site also reported the news and provided a screenshot of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved automakers. Tesla is the first automaker listed, according to TechCrunch.

Earlier in July, the EV maker wrote in its quarterly earnings letter to shareholders that Model 3s production was on track to begin at its Shanghai factory by the end of 2019.

Starting production by November would be a critical milestone for the automaker if it hopes to continue to increase sales and avoid the high cost of shipping and tariffs, the TechCrunch report added.