Most Tesla models get slightly longer wait times in China
The wait times for all versions of the Model 3 and Model Y have become longer, starting at 4 weeks, except for the entry-level Model Y, which still has an expected delivery date starting at 1 week.
(Vehicle information displayed on Tesla's China website on October 1.)
The latest information from Tesla's China website shows a change in wait times for most models, and unlike the past few months when they have been consistently shorter, this time they are slightly longer.
Currently, Tesla's Shanghai plant only produces the Model 3 and Model Y, with the former offered in two versions and the latter in three.
Expected delivery times for the entry-level Model 3 with rear-wheel drive and the Model 3 Performance with dual-motor all-wheel drive are both now 4-8 weeks, the latest information on Tesla's China website shows.
As a comparison, the previous wait times for these two models were 1-8 weeks and 1-10 weeks, respectively.
The wait time for the rear-wheel-drive entry-level Model Y remains 1-4 weeks, as it was previously.
The Model Y Long Range with dual-motor all-wheel drive and the Model Y Performance with dual-motor all-wheel drive both now have expected delivery dates of 4-8 weeks, compared to 1-10 weeks for both of them previously.
The Model 3 currently starts at RMB 279,900 ($39,330) in China and the Model 3 Performance at RMB 367,900. The Model Y starts at RMB 316,900, the Model Y Long Range at RMB 394,900 and the Model Y Performance at RMB 417,900.
Prices for these models and other core specification information are currently unchanged.
(Vehicle information displayed on Tesla's China website on September 16.)
The slightly longer wait times may be related to the recent incentives offered by Tesla in China.
On September 16, local media outlet The Paper reported that for Tesla owners who get deliveries from September 16 to September 30, they can receive a subsidy of RMB 8,000 if they choose to purchase insurance in a Tesla store.
In a report on September 21, Beijing Daily quoted a Tesla salesperson as saying that many consumers who were previously wait-and-see placed their orders quickly after the offer was introduced.
Earlier today, Tesla China announced on Weibo three purchase benefits offered during this year, including an extension of that insurance subsidy through the end of the year, albeit with a reduced offer.
Consumers who purchase a Model 3 or a Model Y and receive delivery between October 1 and December 31 will be eligible for an RMB 7,000 subsidy if they choose to purchase vehicle insurance from Tesla's partner insurance agencies, according to Tesla's poster.
It is also worth noting that on September 30, local media outlet Huxiu cited unnamed multiple sources as saying that Tesla's main selling model in China, the Model Y, is expected to see a price cut of up to RMB 40,000, allowing the starting price of the rear-wheel drive version of the model to potentially drop to RMB 270,000 to 290,000.
However, The Paper later cited a response from a Tesla China source saying that the rumor was false, but provided no further details.
Tesla extends insurance subsidy offered in China to year-end