Industry dynamics

Tesla's revamped Model 3 makes real-life China debut at Beijing trade fair

Publishtime:2019/08/16 Views:7

Tesla is showcasing the revamped version of its Model 3 at a services trade fair in Beijing, after unveiling the model on September 1 for pre-sale in China.

The revamped Model 3 has a wrap-around cabin with ventilated seats, Tesla's Weibo said.

The model has front and rear screens that provide an immersive audio-visual experience, Tesla said, adding that the sedan has a wind resistance of 0.22 Cd and a range of up to 713 kilometers.

Tesla did not provide more information but shared nine images of a red Model 3 on display at the event.

Tesla unexpectedly began pre-sales of the revamped Model 3 in China on September 1, marking the model's debut with the internal codename Highland.

Tesla's Chinese website has updated its Model 3 page to show off the new sedan with a new exterior and interior design.

The new Model 3 continues to be offered as a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive model in the entry version, but the previously available dual-motor performance version has been replaced by a dual-motor long-range version.

Pre-sale prices for the entry rear-wheel-drive Model 3 in China start at RMB 259,900, which is RMB 28,000, or 12 percent, higher than the old model's starting price of RMB 231,900.

The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive, long-range version of the Model 3 starts at RMB 295,900 for pre-sales. For comparison, the previously available dual-motor, all-wheel-drive performance version of the Model 3 starts at RMB 331,900.

The expected delivery dates for both versions are the fourth quarter, information on Tesla's website shows.

It's worth noting that in China, when many EV makers launch new models, they usually start with a pre-sale and offer slightly lower final prices when they go on sale. It's not clear whether Tesla will adopt this strategy.

Additionally, a new car needs to enter the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's model catalogs before it can officially start selling in China.

Tesla's revamped Model 3 has yet to complete that regulatory process, which is expected to be done this month if it's going to materialize for deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter.

Tesla starts pre-sales of revamped Model 3 in China at higher starting price