China-built carrier Glovis Nova ships record 7,738 EVs to Europe

China’s maritime export capabilities reached a new milestone when the Glovis Nova, a Malta-flagged roll-on/roll-off carrier built by Guangzhou Shipyard International (a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation), loaded 7,738 new energy vehicles at Shanghai’s South Port Terminal on Sunday, setting a domestic record for the most cars shipped from a Chinese port in a single voyage. The entire cargo consisted of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y passenger cars, all produced at Tesla's nearby Shanghai Gigafactory. The vessel is on its maiden voyage, destined for Zeebrugge, Belgium, before distribution across European markets. This event underscores China's growing role in both EV manufacturing and the specialized shipping infrastructure needed to transport them globally.

On the same day, another China-built car carrier, the Panama-flagged Glovis Leader, also docked at the same terminal, heading to Busan, South Korea. Both vessels are 10,800-car capacity LNG dual-fuel vehicle carriers—among the largest in the world—and represent a new generation of eco-friendly, high-capacity ships. Their construction highlights China's strategic push to dominate the entire EV supply chain, from battery minerals to final delivery. The record-breaking shipment also signals robust export demand for Tesla's Shanghai-made EVs, and more broadly, the rapid expansion of China's automotive export industry.