Tesla is no longer taking orders for any trims of its Model 3 electric vehicle (EV) in Taiwan (via @Tslachan).
The company had already discontinued orders for the Model 3 Long Range in Taiwan back in August. On Friday, however, Tesla also suspended orders for the entry-level Model 3 and the Model 3 Performance. Tesla’s Taiwanese order configuration page for the Model 3 now says that the release date is yet to be determined for all three variants.
The order for Model 3 has been suspended in Taiwan since yesterday. Following the suspension of LR orders in August, RWD & Pf sequential orders were discontinued@DriveTeslaca @TSLAFanMtl @SawyerMerritt @RealTeslaNorth
— Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) November 5, 2022
Model 3 orders in Taiwan were largely being fulfilled from Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory. As such, there might be a geopolitical element to the abrupt suspension of orders amid worsening U.S.-China relations.
Tesla is still taking orders for Gigafactory Berlin-made Model Ys in Taiwan. The electric automaker launched Model Y reservations in Taiwan quite recently in September, and the first Berlin-made units were spotted in the country only a few weeks ago. Tesla’s first Model Y deliveries in Taiwan are scheduled to start in December.
Back in August, Tesla opened a new store and service and delivery center in Tainan Anping, Taiwan. That was around the same time the EV maker halted Model 3 Long Range orders in the country.
The height of silliness, sending Shanghai vehicles to Germany and German vehicles to Taiwan. Political games are going to sink us all if we’re not careful.