Tesla Model Y wait time in China extends from 1-4 weeks to 2-5 weeks
Expected delivery dates for both versions of the Model 3 are unchanged, remaining at 1-4 weeks.
(Vehicle information displayed on Tesla's China website on January 9.)
Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) popular Model Y crossover has a slightly longer wait time in China, while that information is unchanged for the Model 3 sedan, after the company lowered the prices of both models a few days ago.
Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that makes the Model 3 and Model Y. The company now offers two versions of the Model 3 as well as three versions of the Model Y in China.
The latest expected delivery dates for both the entry-level rear-wheel drive Model Y and the dual-motor all-wheel drive Model Y Long Range are now 2-5 weeks from the previous 1-4 weeks, information on Tesla's China website shows.
The expected delivery date for the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Model Y Performance remains unchanged at 1-4 weeks.
The expected delivery dates for the two versions of the Model 3 -- the entry-level rear-wheel drive version and the dual-motor all-wheel drive Model 3 Performance -- also remain unchanged, at 1-4 weeks.
Additional information on these models, including pricing as well as specifications, is unchanged.
Tesla significantly lowered the prices of the full Model 3 and Model Y in China on January 6, bringing the starting price of the entry-level Model 3 down to RMB 229,900 ($33,430), a reduction of RMB 36,000 from the previous price of RMB 265,900.
This is the lowest-ever starting price for the Model 3 in China, even below January 2021 starting price of RMB 249,900.
The entry-level Model Y has an updated starting price of RMB 259,900, down RMB 29,000 from the previous price of RMB 288,900.
This is the second time in three months that Tesla has cut prices in China, in response to the slumping demand it is facing in the country, with the economy slowing and competition increasing.
A large number of owners then protested at Tesla showrooms across China, expressing their dissatisfaction with the devaluation of their vehicles just after they had recently got deliveries.
In a report today, China Business Herald quoted a lady surnamed Li as saying that Tesla salespeople had previously been pushing her to take delivery of her vehicle, telling her that her price was the lowest ever.
"I didn't expect that less than a week after getting delivery, I lost more than RMB 30,000," the lady said.
The price cut by Tesla was to be expected because of its lower costs, the report said, citing Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.
Lithium carbonate, a key raw material for batteries, has continued to go lower in recent months, a CnEVPost report late last month noted.