Tesla begins delivering China-built Model 3s

Fifteen Tesla employees in China have taken delivery of the first China-built Model 3.

At a ceremony at the Shanghai Gigafactory on Monday morning, Tesla announced they will begin mass deliveries before the Chinese New Year to people who purchased the Shanghai-built electric cars.

A Tesla employee takes delivery of his China-built Tesla Model 3 at a ceremony at the Shanghai Gigafactory on December 30, 2019. [Screenshot taken from livestream on Tesla's official Sina Weibo account]

The Model 3 Standard Range Plus assembled at the Shanghai Gigafactory comes with Autopilot. Before EV subsidies prices start at 355,800 yuan (50,000 U.S. Dollars).

The Shanghai factory is the first Tesla Gigafactory outside the United States. Construction of the factory started in January and the cars started rolling out in October. The first phase aims to build 150,000 Model 3s annually before the factory starts production on the Tesla Model Y.