First Tesla electric car sold to a mainland customer for an alleged HK$3m

Tesla Motors is allegedly delivering its first electric car to a mainland customer for a total price of around 2.5 million yuan, (HK$3 million) according to local media reports and online postings.

“China’s first Tesla Model S is now in the pocket of a young 24 year old from [Zhejiang’s Dongyang city]!” the original post read. “The owner is affectionately referring to his new car as ‘Te Te’!”

Reporters from the Qianjeng Evening News followed up on the Weibo posts, and discovered that the poster known as “Hantian Racing” was director of a car factory in Zhejiang. He knew of the car’s buyer, but declined to give a name and would only state that the Model S was currently in Shanghai, would soon be shipped to Dongyang, and had been purchased in a “direct transfer from Hong Kong” with total shipping costs estimated at around 2.5 million yuan.

“[The buyer's] always had a wide variety of vehicles to play with, but after finding them all boring, he saw this Tesla Model S and thought the concept was very new,” the netizen nicknamed “Hantian Racing” told Qianjeng Evening News. “So he ordered one from Hong Kong.”

Inquiries into the buyer’s contact information confirmed that he was a fan of modified cars living in Dongyang city and was involved in a luxury wedding car rental service.