First China-Built Teslas Roll Out Of Shanghai Plant As Musk Breaks Into Dance

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday to kick off the first deliveries of its made-in-China cars, a milestone for the company's plans to go global.

LIVE: Elon Musk in Shanghai!! $TSLA #Tesla @elonmusk https://t.co/fccoRRzrBY

— Tesla New York (@TeslaNY) January 7, 2020

Earlier on December 30, a delivery ceremony was held during which 15 Tesla employees received Model 3 electric cars they had purchased. Tuesday marks the first deliveries to the general public.

A video of a jig which Musk broke into at the event has gone viral.

At Tesla Giga Shanghai NSFW!! pic.twitter.com/1yrPyzJQGZ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2020

 

Marking a record for global automakers in China, Tesla Inc. delivered its first China-built electric cars within a year since it began work at its multi-billion dollar Shanghai plant. The company had said it would ramp up deliveries from January.

“Tesla will deliver the first China-made Model 3 at Gigafactory 3 plant in Shanghai TODAY,” the company said in a tweet. “The 15 customers who are slated to get their Model 3s first are Tesla employees.”

Tesla will deliver the first China-made Model 3 at Gigafactory 3 plant in Shanghai TODAY. The 15 customers who are slated to get their Model 3s first are Tesla employees. pic.twitter.com/bOTeR8wjUL

— Tesla China (@teslacn) December 30, 2019

Tesla is churning out more than a thousand Model 3 sedans a week.

The China-made Model 3 sedans are priced at $50,000 before subsidies, will compete with local electric car makers such as NIO and Xpeng Motors, as well as global manufacturers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Tesla’s move into the country comes as CEO Elon Musk plans to bolster its presence in the world's biggest car market and minimise the impact of the US-China trade war. The trade war has forced other American companies to shift production out of China.