SHANGHAI -- US automaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory more than doubled its vehicle exports in the first half of 2022 despite the resurgence of COVID-19 in Shanghai.

The factory exported 97,182 automobiles in the January-June period, compared to the 41,770 units it exported in the same period last year, according to Tesla China.

Tesla has started accepting orders and in June began deliveries of its China-made Model Y in Asia-Pacific markets such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, driving demand for vehicle exports, the company said.

After production resumed in the wake of the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai, the production and sales of the Shanghai Gigafactory, an important export center for Tesla, broke records set prior to the resurgence this year.

Tesla delivered a record high of 77,938 vehicles in China in June, up 177 percent year-on-year. Its Shanghai Gigafactory produced nearly 300,000 vehicles in the first half of this year.