After Tesla began cutting the starting price of its China-made Model 3 sedan earlier this week by roughly 8% (to 249,900 yuan / $36,800 with subsidies), the American EV began flying off the shelves.
Before the discount, the starting price for Model 3 cars made at Tesla’s Shanghai factory was 271,550 yuan ($40,000). According to HT, showroom representatives have said that they don’t even have time to eat, as potential buyers keep walking through the doors at a high rate.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the standard range Model 3 will now come with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are cheaper than the nickel-cobalt-manganese (NMC) ones used previously – although the carmaker hasn’t disclosed what batteries the cheaper variant uses.
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As for the longer range Model 3, prices have gone down from 344,050 yuan ($50,600) to 309,900 yuan ($45,600), which is an even bigger discount than on the entry-level variant.
Tesla sold more than 11,000 Model 3s in China last month, and starting next year, they’ll commence deliveries for China-made Model Y crossovers too.
On a less positive note, a Tesla Model 3 recently failed an autonomous braking test during a demonstration in China, before going on to score poorly in Euro NCAP highway assist tests as far as driver engagement is concerned.
According to the agency, the Model 3’s “distinct steering strategy gives the impression that either the car is driving itself or the driver has full control, and the system is more authoritarian than cooperative.”
“Unfortunately, there are motorists that believe they can purchase a self-driving car today. This is a dangerous misconception that sees too much control handed to vehicles that are not ready to cope with all situations,” said Euro NCAP board member Matthew Avery.
