Tesla to present Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid in China

Tesla will showcase its entire "S3XY" family of vehicles at the China International Import Expo on November 5.

Tesla will showcase its entire "S3XY" family of models at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 5, the electric vehicle (EV) maker said in a post on its official WeChat account today.

The upcoming fifth edition of CIIE will be held from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai, where Tesla has a factory that produces the Model 3 and Model Y.

Tesla's teaser means that the Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid will be on display at the event, making their first official appearance in China.

Tesla's China website currently allows consumers to reserve Model S and Model X, which are not produced locally, but does not display pricing information, and the page indicates that both models are pending regulatory approval.

Notably, on October 11, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released its latest list of 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.

In the catalog published by the MIIT, the Model S and Model X each include two models with a 100-kWh battery capacity.

Entry into the catalog is the last major regulatory process for a model to be sold in China, which may mean that consumers who have been waiting for the Model S and Model X for about two years may soon receive deliveries.

A screenshot from social media shared by local automotive outlet Yiche on October 11 showed that a Chinese consumer who pre-ordered the electric sedan has already received a notice from Tesla asking him to make the final payment for the car in preparation for delivery.

The consumer, who previously reserved the model by paying RMB 20,000 and choosing the white interior, now needs to make a final payment of RMB 1,013,990.

This means that the total cost to the consumer for the Model S Plaid will be RMB 1,033,990 ($141,660).

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

In early June 2021, Tesla began US deliveries of the model and removed the more capable Plaid + model.

Tesla is teasing the Model S Plaid's debut in China on its WeChat account today, saying the model can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds.

In addition to the post on its WeChat account, Tesla also posted a video on Weibo to warm up for the event.

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