Tesla Model S Plaid spotted in China for first time
Today's photos of the Model S Plaid being seen in China are generating a lot of buzz.
While Tesla is busy delivering the Model 3 and Model Y in China, the higher-end Model S is apparently more desirable to enthusiasts, and today's photos of the Model S Plaid in China are generating a lot of buzz.
Auto blogger @常岩CY shared several photos on Weibo today of the Model S Plaid taken in Foshan, Guangdong, the first time the model has appeared in China.
It's uncertain if Tesla is doing testing or if another car company bought it, said the blogger, who also shared a video of the vehicle.
Tesla unveiled the Model S Plaid in the US in September 2020, powered by triple electric motors that can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour 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 be coming to China around March 2022.
But that never became a reality.
At the time, Tesla's China website showed the Model S Plaid with an MSRP of RMB 1,059,990 and an expected delivery date in China of late 2022, though that was pending regulatory approval.
The website no longer shows the model's MSRP and expected delivery date, only text that could be translated as follows:
Prices and specific configurations will be released closer to delivery, at which time you will be notified to select your order. Until then, your order will be considered a pre-sale order and you can cancel at any time and receive a full refund.
Notably, in February, Weibo user @ YFY含笑, said he received an email from Tesla stating that his Model S Plaid reservation order received an update.
The user paid RMB 20,000 on March 17, 2021 to reserve the vehicle, which costs RMB 999,990, for a total price of RMB 1,061,990 after including the option and EAP software.
Since then, however, the user has not shared any more updates about the vehicle.