Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives in China for Model 3 delivery event, meets with local employees

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday a few hours before the scheduled Model 3 delivery event at Gigafactory 3.

The Tesla chief arrived at the Gigafactory in China on a midnight silver Model X and was welcomed by local executives and staff. The ceremony that will deliver the first Made-In-China Model 3 sedans to the general public is set to start at around 3 p.m. local time or 11 p.m. California time.

Elon Musk just arrived at Shanghai Gigafactory. This time last year it was a mud pit. Today, a year later, it has become a Tesla Gigafactory that can produce 3,000 Model 3s per week.#Tesla #TeslaChina #ModelY #Model3 #GF3 #Gigafactory #特斯拉 #中国 $TSLA pic.twitter.com/efO7MxWSHK

— Jason Man (@JayinShanghai) January 7, 2020

As of reporting Musk is meeting with Tesla China employees.

JUST IN: @elonmusk is at #GF3 now meeting #Tesla employees, making a speech. He and everybody else looks pumped up for the grand event coming in less than two hours. Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/79QV3o3VW5

— Ray4️⃣Tesla⚡️🚘☀️🔋 (@ray4tesla) January 7, 2020

The first 15 Model 3 units were handed over to Tesla employees in a symbolic ceremony on Dec. 30 at Gigafactory 3. Details about the volume of cars to be delivered to customers on Tuesday have not been disclosed but this might also be the greenlight for mass deliveries since hundreds of locally-produced electric sedans were distributed to delivery centers and showrooms across China in previous weeks.

Leaked information about the Tesla event suggests that the electric car manufacturer will also announce the start of its Model Y program in China. This will be an unprecedented move since the electric crossover might be introduced in the country roughly at the same time as in the United States.

Is this the clue of the surprise tomorrow at the China Made Model 3 Delivery Ceremony Event at Gigafactory 3, will Tesla China 🇨🇳 unveil China Made Model Y Tomorrow. Let us know what you think? Thank you to @BrightCleanFut1 #Tesla #TeslaChina #Model3 #ModelY #ChinaMade #GF3 pic.twitter.com/L0bHPjINBT

— Jason Man (@JayinShanghai) January 6, 2020

The Gigafactory 3 hit a run-rate of roughly 3,000 units a week recently and should be capable to produce the Model 3 alongside the Model Y given the two vehicles share 75 percent of parts. With the two vehicle models spearheading the charge of the brand in China, Gigafactory 3 will be a gamechanger for Tesla.

Just last week, Tesla China lowered the price of the Model 3 sedan from $50,000 to $42,919, a move that practically undercuts BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the entry-level luxury sedan market.

H/T to JayinShanghai and Ray4Tesla

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});