Tesla has plans to begin deliveries of the first made-in-China Model Y’s to customers in early 2021, as construction of the second phase of Giga Shanghai nears completion.
Continuing a recent trend of beating expectations, the date for Model Y deliveries in China may be coming sooner than anticipated.
A Model Y was recently spotted on the back of a flatbed truck along a highway in the city of Yancheng, China according to photos sent to and published by Tesmanian. At the time, it was unclear if the camouflaged electric SUV was a test vehicle imported from Tesla’s Fremont factory in the US, or if Giga Shanghai had made its first Model Y.
Update: Here are some more pictures posted to Twitter.
Made in China Model Y FIRST spy photos. pic.twitter.com/g2uxZpqkZV
— Yan Chang (@cyfoxcat) August 29, 2020
As rumours swirled that the Model Y in question was made in China, the news was soon confirmed by @Ray4Tesla, a popular Chinese Tesla fan and observer. According to his source, an “EV industry watcher in China“, the camouflaged Model Y was in fact built at Giga Shanghai.
Just confirmed with an EV industry watcher in China the test vehicle in the report blow is indeed MIC Model Y. At this pace, we could possibly see deliveries in December or even sooner. https://t.co/VTSvYIYhPL
— Ray4️⃣Tesla⚡️🚘☀️🔋 (@ray4tesla) August 29, 2020
If true that Model Y production has begun, even if limited to test vehicles, it is a good sign deliveries could begin ahead of schedule later this year.
This revelation also supports the news Drive Tesla reported on last week that Tesla published nearly 1,000 job postings, many of which are presumed to be for the Model Y production line.
The price of the Model Y in China will be almost $20,000 CAD higher compared to the pricing in Canada. The Long Range starts at ¥488,000 ($92,700 CAD), while the Performance starts at ¥535,000 ($101,600 CAD).
