Tesla has a lot coming up – with Battery Day just a few weeks away and the launch of its first crossover utility vehicle (CUV) set to come just a few months after that, the electric vehicle (EV) giant is certainly preparing for a few different big announcements.
According to South China Morning Post, Tesla has already begun building its Model Y test vehicles at Shanghai’s Gigafactory 3, and it was spotted in transport on a low loader truck in Yancheng, Jiangsu.
“Two industry officials with knowledge of Tesla’s China operations confirmed that the test vehicle was made in Gigafactory 3, Tesla’s first plant outside the US and that its plans were going as per schedule,” reports the SCMP.
Although the Model Y is expected to be delivered across China early in 2021, some analysts believe it will be offered to customers local to the Lingang, Shangai Gigafactory 3 area even sooner.
Gao Shen, a Shanghai-based manufacturing analyst told reporters, “Based on its prices, Model Y is set to grab share from the existing domestic premium electric vehicle builders,” He continued, “The new Model Y will be a stern challenge to the Chinese rivals.”
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After the rampant, almost unprecedented success Tesla had with the Model 3 in the first half of 2020, consumers are chomping at the bit to get their hands on any model of the brand’s lineup. In June alone, Tesla sold 14,954 Model 3 cars, making up 23 percent of the month’s total EV sales.
The release of the Model Y is expected to put major pressure on Nio and other Chinese EV makers, especially with the momentum Tesla has gained throughout 2020 thus far. One thing is for certain: with new locally-sourced parts and Battery Day on the horizon, Tesla is set to deliver its Model Y to Chinese consumers as soon as it possibly can.
