INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tesla has received government approval to produce the long-range rear-wheel-drive version of its Model 3 vehicle at its Chinese factory,
according to documents posted Friday on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website.
Reuters was the first to report the
story.
Tesla started producing a standard-range-plus rear-whee-drive version of the Model 3 at its Shanghai factory late last year
The first deliveries began in early January
This approval allows Tesla to add another variant to its Chinese portfolio
Eventually, Tesla plans to manufacture the Model Y electric vehicle at the China factory.
The move is notable because Tesla discontinued
production of the long-range RWD Model 3 in the United States and now only offers that variant as a dual-motor all-wheel drive
It also appears to be a shift from Tesla initial plan to sell a more basic version of the Model 3 in China.
The standard-range-plus Model 3
can travel 276 miles on a single charge, according to Tesla China website
The company hasn''t posted a range on its Chinese website for the longer-range variant.
Tesla struck a deal with the Chinese government in
July 2018 to build a factory in Shanghai
It was a milestone for Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, who has long viewed China as a crucial market
And it was particularly notable because China agreed for this to be a wholly owned Tesla factory, not a traditional joint venture with the
Foreign companies have historically had to form a 50-50 joint venture with a local partner to build a factory in China.
