Tesla’s Upcoming Model 3 Performance Receives MIIT Approval for Sale in China, Deliveries Expected in Q3 2024

Tesla China has cleared a significant hurdle for the upcoming deliveries of its revamped Model 3 Performance in the country. Recent reports indicate that the reengineered model has been officially included in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) catalog of upcoming vehicles.

The inclusion of the new Model 3 Performance in the MIIT catalog marks the final major government approval required for the car to be sold in China, according to a report by CNEV Post. Public feedback on the new variant’s inclusion will be accepted from May 12th to 17th.

The Tesla Model 3 variant listed in the MIIT catalog bears the model number TSL7000BEVBA5. Produced at Tesla’s Giga Shanghai facility, this model features a front motor delivering 137 kW and a rear motor delivering 265 kW, enabling a top speed of 261 km/h and a remarkable 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.1 seconds.

Equipped with a ternary lithium-ion battery from South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, the revamped Model 3 Performance has its battery pack assembly managed by Tesla China. The MIIT catalog also specifies the vehicle’s dimensions: a length of 4,724 mm, a width of 1,848 mm, a height of 1,430 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,875 mm.

While the reengineered Model 3 Performance was already launched last month, deliveries in China are slated to commence in the third quarter of 2024, according to the vehicle’s order page in China. Priced starting at RMB 335,900 (approximately $46,430), the new variant commands a premium of about 44% over the base Model 3, priced at RMB 231,900 (about $32,000).

The introduction of the revamped Tesla Model 3 Performance completes the all-electric sedan’s lineup overhaul. Initially launched with two variants—the base Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and the mid-tier Long Range Dual Motor All Wheel Drive (AWD)—the Model 3 lineup expanded last month with the addition of the new Model 3 Performance, also known in EV circles as the Model 3 Highland.

#Tesla Model 3 Performance enters MIIT. Previous China retail price: 335,900 RMB.
Power:
Front(3D3): 137kW
Rear(4D2): 265kW pic.twitter.com/d4NnNpOwHA

— ThinkerCar (@thinkercar) May 11, 2024