Tesla Inc is looking to produce 1.5 million vehicles and over 50 percent growth over 2021 numbers, as the Shanghai factory has resumed production "at fairly high levels" following a month-long COVID-related closure.

Admitting the automaker has lost "a lot of important days" for build volume out of Shanghai, CEO Elon Musk predicted Q2 production to be roughly on par with the first three months.

"Giga Shanghai is coming back with a vengeance," he told analysts during a call on Wednesday following the release of its first quarter earnings. "I think we will see record output per week from Giga Shanghai this quarter, albeit missing a couple of weeks."

He added production has also begun to resume among Tesla's suppliers, and predicted a substantially higher output for Q3 and Q4.

"So, it seems likely that we'll be able to produce over 1.5 million cars this year--that's my best guess," he added.

He also said the automaker's new plants in Berlin and Austin are likely to see faster ramps because of experience from Shanghai and simplification of the production process for the Model Y.

Tesla reported 310,048 vehicle deliveries for the first quarter. It reported $18.76 billion in revenue and $3.22 earnings per share in the quarter, beating market expectations.

hewei@chinadaily.com.cn