A Weibo post by the dealer Kingston Chan (KC) officially announces that Tesla has begun accepting reservations from China. KC asks potential buyers to send an email to an address connected to the EV maker’s official U.S. site – there is no mention of the price, though, or how much higher it will be.
Still, there is a long way until deliveries start, because, predictably, breaking into the Chinese market was going to be problematic. Apparently, Tesla is now facing trademark issues in the PRC, where a speculating businessperson snapped up the right to use the name – rumors say the brand could end up being named ‘Tuosule,’ if the mess isn’t properly cleared up.
The American manufacturer already has a showroom in Beijing, though it has yet to hang a big logo upfront to mark its presence there, and it could stay this way until the trademark issues are resolved. According to a Reuters report, though, they still want to open the first dealership by the end of this year, and then begin expanding the network to encompass all of the areas of the country where potential buyers are most likely to reside.
Aside from all of this, we’re still curious if they are going to make a long-wheelbase model for the Chinese market.
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References: Reuters via carnewschina
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