Nine years after its first vehicle entered the Chinese market, Tesla has announced that deliveries of the new Model S and Model X have begun in mainland China. While the company’s China website shows expected delivery dates for both models in the second quarter, Tesla has confirmed the start of deliveries through a post on Weibo.
Despite not providing additional information on Weibo, Tesla did announce the prices of the new Model S and Model X on January 6, which are not produced locally in China. This announcement came at the same time as the company significantly reduced the prices of the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Model S is available in two versions in China, a regular version with dual motors and all-wheel drive, and a Plaid version with tri-motors and all-wheel drive. The Model S starts at RMB 789,900 ($114,790), while the Model S Plaid starts at RMB 1,009,900.
Similarly, the Model X is also available in two versions, a regular version with dual-motor all-wheel drive, and a Plaid version with tri-motor all-wheel drive. The Model X starts at RMB 879,900, and the Model X Plaid starts at RMB 1,039,900.
According to a previous report by Shanghai Securities News, six imported Tesla pure electric vehicles were inspected on-site by customs officers after being driven out of containers at the Nangang Terminal of Shanghai Yangshan Port on February 28. Furthermore, on March 15, the latest batch of 867 Tesla new Model S and Model X vehicles arrived in Tianjin, according to a statement by the Tianjin Port Group.
The arrival of new Model S and Model X vehicles in China represents an important milestone for Tesla’s continued expansion in the world’s largest auto market. As the company works to increase its presence in China, the availability of these highly-anticipated models is sure to attract significant attention from Chinese consumers.
