Tesla’s Shanghai-made Model Y gets rousing reception as Chinese buyers rush to place orders for competitively priced SUV
- Buyers of the locally made Model Y will have to wait until late February for deliveries to start, according to staff at a showroom in Shanghai
- Prices start from 339,000 yuan (US$52,074) for Long Range version, excluding a government subsidy, 30 per cent cheaper than the price quoted six months ago
Tesla’s Shanghai-made Model Y has received an enthusiastic initial response from Chinese customers eager to place orders for the battery-powered SUV, after the carmaker priced it much lower than their expectations.
However, buyers of the second locally-built Tesla model will have to wait until late February for deliveries to start, according to staff at a company showroom on Shibo Avenue in Pudong, Shanghai.
“The prices are so attractive that we cannot resist,” said Chen Zhiyi, a customer visiting the showroom, who plans to order a Model Y. “It will not take too long before we see a lot of Model Ys clog the streets.”
On Sunday, at least 30 customers were seen closely inspecting a Model Y made at the Gigafactory on display at the Pudong showroom. The customers took turns to chat with salespersons to get more information about the car, the sales procedure and to sit in the driver’s seat to get a feel of the car.
Tesla has slashed prices of its made-in-China Model Y cars to woo drivers in the world’s largest electric vehicle market, ratcheting up pressure on its global and Chinese rivals that focus on the premium segment.