Tesla has slightly delayed deliveries of locally-made Model Ys in China.
The car manufacturer had intended on commencing deliveries of the all-electric SUV this month but its website reveals that entry-level variants of the EV purchased now will be delivered in the second quarter of the year.
“Based on the order intake and our production plan, we have adjusted the Model Y delivery time of latest orders to the second quarter,” a Tesla representative confirmed on WeChat, Auto News reports.
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Prices for the Model Y start at 339,900 yuan ($52,600) in China and increase to 369,900 yuan ($57,218) for the Model Y Performance.
Elon Musk has previously said that the Model Y will likely outsell the Model 3, Model S and Model X combined and China is shaping up to one of the Model Y’s key markets. In fact, analysts believe the country will account for a larger slice of Tesla’s sales and earnings in the years to come, which will be helped by the locally-based Shanghai-based factory.
Tesla sold approximately 120,000 vehicles in China throughout 2020 and the China Passenger Car Association estimates that it could sell as many as 280,000 vehicles in the country in 2021. However, local companies such as Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto are also expected to grow their sales in the country and could threaten Tesla’s stranglehold over the market. The growing presence of traditional car manufacturers in the EV space will also test Tesla moving forward.
