(Yicai Global) April 18 -- Zhiji Automobile, the electric car joint venture of SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group Holding, and Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development, has launched its first model on schedule despite the impact of China’s ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.

The L7 Dynamic and the high-end version L7 Pro went on sale yesterday and deliveries will begin at the end of this month. They cost from CNY368,800 (USD57,865) and CNY408,800, respectively.

Since the end of last month, Shanghai has been living under a city-wide lockdown due to a Covid-19 outbreak. To ensure deliveries of the L7 series, workers moved into Zhiji Auto’s plant in Lingang, in the city’s Pudong district, before lockdown began. It has over 4,000 staff on duty, per SAIC’s data.

Except for a two-week delay in the test drive phase because of logistics problems, the overall efficiency and progress of the launch are as expected, Chief Executive Liu Tao told Yicai Global.

SAIC owns 54 percent of Zhiji Auto, while Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park own 18 percent each.

Shanghai is gradually promoting the resumption of key manufacturing industries. According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the city will focus on restarting 666 key firms in the integrated circuit, auto, equipment, and biomedical industries.

Editor: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione