Industry dynamics

Tesla Model S Plaid customer in China gets order update, hinting delivery likely in sight

Publishtime:1970-01-01 08:00:00 Views:25

A Chinese user shared information that he received an email from Tesla stating that his Model S Plaid reservation order received an update.

Some consumers in China are starting to get excited as the Tesla Model S Plaid they reserved about a year ago has finally received an order update, raising hopes that delivery could be around the corner.

According to information shared by Weibo user @YFY含笑 on Monday, he received an email from Tesla stating that his Model S Plaid reservation order received an update.

The user reserved a silver Model S Plaid with 19-inch Tempest wheels, Cream interior and a Yoke steering wheel.

He also opted for the Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) assisted driving feature at a price of RMB 32,000 ($5,050).

The customer paid RMB 20,000 on March 17, 2021 to reserve the vehicle at a price of RMB 999,990, for a total price of RMB 1,061,990 after including the optional features and EAP software.

His order information shows that he reserved the Model S Plaid in the name of a company in Zhejiang province, with delivery expected to take place in a delivery center in Hangzhou.

Tesla unveiled the Model S Plaid in the US in September 2020, powered by three motors that can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds. The company's CEO Elon Musk called it the fastest production car ever built.

Tesla began deliveries of the model in the US in early June 2021 and removed the more capable Plaid + model.

In late November last year, Musk tweeted in response to @JayinShanghai, a Twitter user who closely follows the company, that the Model S Plaid could come to China around March of 2022.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2021

At the time, the Tesla China website showed the Model S Plaid with a price tag of RMB 1,059,990 and an estimated delivery date in China of late 2022, though that was pending regulatory approval.

The website no longer shows the model's price or expected delivery date, only text that could be translated as follows:

Prices and specific configurations will be released as delivery nears, at which time you will be notified to place your selected order. Until then, your order will be treated as a pre-sale order and you can cancel at any time and receive a full refund.

It's worth noting that, as the wording displayed on Tesla's China website last year said, the Model S Plaid is still subject to regulatory approval for deliveries to begin in China.

Key among these is its entry into the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's list of products that can be allowed to be sold, and the Model S Plaid has so far not appeared on the past lists.