Tesla readies for Model S Plaid delivery in China

A Chinese consumer who pre-ordered the Model S Plaid received a notice from Tesla to make the final payment in order to prepare for delivery.

For Chinese consumers who have been waiting for the Tesla Model S Plaid for two years, delivery is not far off.

One Chinese consumer who pre-ordered the electric sedan has already received a notice from Tesla to make the final payment on the purchase in preparation for delivery, a screenshot from social media shared by local automotive outlet Yiche on Tuesday shows.

The consumer, who previously reserved the model by paying RMB 20,000 and opted for a white interior, will now have to pay a final payment of RMB 1,013,990, according to the report.

This means that the total cost of the Model S Plaid will be RMB 1,033,990 ($143,930) for the consumer.

Tesla announced the Model S Plaid in the US in September 2020 with triple motors that can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds.

In early June 2021, Tesla began deliveries of the model in the US and eliminated the more powerful Plaid + model.

In late November last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Model S Plaid could come to China around March 2022. However, that never became a reality.

At that time, Tesla's China website showed the Model S Plaid priced at RMB 1,059,990 with an expected delivery date in China of late 2022, though this was pending regulatory approval.

Currently, Tesla's US website shows the Model S Plaid's vehicle price at $140,490.

It's worth noting that a number of recent developments suggest that the Tesla Model S Plaid is getting closer to delivery in China.

Auto blogger @常岩 CY shared several photos on Weibo on October 10 of the Model S Plaid taken in Foshan, Guangdong province, the first time the model has appeared in China.

On October 11, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the latest batch of new energy vehicles (NEVs) exempt from vehicle purchase tax, and the Model S and Model X were included.

China is currently exempting NEVs from the purchase tax, which was set to expire at the end of this year, but has been extended to the end of 2023.