Tesla has started delivery of the updated Model 3 Performance in China, ahead of the date originally expected for the third quarter. The US company announced the start of deliveries on its WeChat account, highlighting the model's impressive performance data:
0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 261 km/h.
Pre-sales of the new Model 3, also known as Model 3 Highland, began in China on September 1, 2023, offering an entry-level version with rear-wheel drive and a long-distance version with all-wheel drive. Both variants went on official sale on October 19, 2023, with deliveries starting at the end of October.
On April 24 of this year Tesla then presented the updated Model 3 Performance in China and began pre-sales of the most powerful variant. At that time Tesla China indicated that deliveries would begin in the third quarter.
On June 2 Tesla the official sale of the updated Model 3 Performance in China, at a price of 46,290 euros (335,900 RMB), the same price as the pre-sale. The two other variants of the Model 3 start at 32,000 euros (231,900 RMB) and 37,500 euros (271,900 RMB). The delivery times for all three variants are, according to the Tesla-website in China are 1-6 weeks.
The Tesla-factory in Shanghai commenced operations at the end of 2019 and began delivering the locally produced Model 3 and in January 2021 the locally produced Model Y. In 2020, the Tesla the Model 3 was offered in China in three versions: an entry-level version with rear-wheel drive, a long-distance version with rear-wheel drive and a performance version with all-wheel drive.
The long-distance version with rear-wheel drive was discontinued in China from January 2021. Until the introduction of the Model 3 Highland the Model 3 was only offered in China as an entry-level version with rear-wheel drive and as a powerful performance version.
In May Tesla 55,215 vehicles in China, an increase of 29.89 percent year-on-year and 75.73 percent more than in April, according to data compiled by CnEVPost. In the period from January to May Tesla 219,056 vehicles in China, a decrease of 0.38 percent compared to the previous year.
