BEIJING >> Electric auto brand Tesla Inc. said it signed an agreement Wednesday to secure land in Shanghai for its first factory outside the United States, pushing ahead with development despite mounting U.S.-Chinese trade tensions.

Tesla, based on Palo Alto, Calif., announced plans for the Shanghai factory in July after the Chinese government said it would end restrictions on full foreign ownership of electric vehicle makers to speed up industry development.

Those plans have gone ahead despite tariff hikes by Washington and Beijing on billions of dollars of each other’s goods in a dispute over Chinese technology policy. U.S. imports targeted by Beijing’s penalties include electric cars.

China is the biggest global electric vehicle market and Tesla’s second-largest after the U.S. Tesla joins global automakers including General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Corp. that are pouring billions of dollars into manufacturing electric vehicles in China.

U.S. probes Ford pickup tailgates opening

DETROIT >> U.S. safety regulators are trying to figure out why the power tailgates on some Ford F-Series pickup trucks can open unexpectedly while the trucks are moving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into thousands of F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks from the 2017 model year.

The agency says in documents posted Wednesday that it has five complaints from owners. It says unsecured loads could spill onto the road. The documents show Ford sent a service bulletin to dealers in October of 2017 saying that the problem is caused by water getting into electrical wiring.

Investigators will determine how widespread the trouble is and whether a recall is needed.

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ON THE MOVE

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has added new doctors to the hospital’s facilities on Maui and Oahu:

>> Dr. Christopher Chung is a new hospitalist at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Chung was able to finish his internal medicine residency at Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital, located in St. Louis, Mo.

>> Dr. Selena Goss specializes in vascular surgery at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center. Goss previously served as a vascular surgery fellow at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa.

>> Robert Kawa, doctor of optometry, has joined the family medicine department at Kaiser Permanente Maui Lani Medical Office. Kawa completed his family medicine residency at St. Vincent’s Family Medicine Residency Program in Jacksonville, Fla.