Expected delivery dates for the Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) in China have jumped by four weeks, from 16-20 weeks to 20-24 — reports CnEVPost.
Due to the delay, Chinese Tesla customers who place an order for the RMB 279,900 ($41,960 USD) entry-level Model 3 today won’t get deliveries until at least the end of October.
Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai is producing the Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles (EVs) at this time, both for the local market and for export. Pricing and specifications for all models remain unchanged, and the base Model 3 is the only one delayed so far.
Extended delivery dates can largely be attributed to the production backlog at Giga Shanghai.
The plant shut down operations on March 28 after the local government enforced strict lockdowns to combat China’s largest COVID-19 outbreak in two years. Giga Shanghai remained offline for 24 days (including another 2-day pause from mid-March). Production restarted under a “closed-loop” system on April 19.
At the factory’s peak output of 2,600 units per day, the closure cost Tesla more than 50,000 vehicles. Giga Shanghai only churned out 26,000 vehicles in the 30 days since it resumed production.
Output is gradually increasing, with a report from earlier this week indicating that production is now up to 70% of pre-lockdown levels. However, Tesla still has a lot of ground to regain, and the longer delivery cycle demonstrates as much.
The automaker reinitiated double shifts at Giga Shanghai on May 23, increasing production capacity. Tesla expects to bring production back up to regular levels this month.
Shanghai authorities lifted restrictions on residential travel from June 1, essentially ending the firm lockdown that lasted two months. Tesla also reopened 61 Supercharging stations in Shanghai as the lockdown lifted.
