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Tesla Model 3 configurator in China teases March deliveries, Standard Range in 2nd half of 2019
Tesla has opened its Model 3 configurator for the Chinese market, allowing potential buyers of the electric sedan to design their vehicles. As could be seen in Tesla’s Chinese website, the company is only offering two variants of the Model 3 in China for now — the Long Range AWD and the Performance version. The Mid Range Model 3 RWD, the vehicle’s most affordable variant available today, is currently unavailable in the country.
The Model 3 configurator in China reflects the vehicle’s updated prices, which were rolled out after the Chinese State Council Customs Tariff Commission announced last month that it was suspending the extra 25% tariffs it placed on cars and parts being imported from the United States. With these adjustments in place, the Model 3 Performance, which was initially announced with a price of 689,000 RMB (roughly $100,000), was adjusted to 560,000 RMB (around $81,000). The Long Range AWD variant, initially listed with a price of 580,000 RMB (around $84,000), was reduced to 499,000 RMB (roughly $72,600).
Tesla’s Model 3 configurator in China. (Credit: Tesla)
White seats are currently priced at 9,300 RMB (~$1,300), while paint options such as “China Red” multicoat are priced at 23,100 RMB (~$3,300). In the case of the Model 3 Performance, the Chinese version of the electric vehicle is also equipped with 19″ “Power Wheels,” which feature a design that combines “balanced performance and cruising range.” Enhanced Autopilot is priced at 46,300 RMB (~$6,700) as well, though the company notes that purchasing the driver-assist system after taking delivery would raise its price to 65,000 RMB (~$9,400). The electric car maker also included a reminder about Autopilot’s upcoming features, stating that “the specific functions and specific time of the push will depend on the relevant laws, regulations, and rules of the People’s Republic of China.”
Tesla’s Model 3 page in China notes that first deliveries for the vehicle are expected to begin sometime in March 2019. The company’s Chinese website further teased that the upcoming Standard Range version of the Model 3 would be available sometime in mid-2019. This is quite in line with Tesla’s timeframe for the Standard Range Model 3 in its US configurator, which estimates the electric car’s availability within 3-4 months.
Tesla’s Model 3 configurator in China. (Credit: Tesla)
Chinese reservation holders who order the vehicle could pick up the Model 3 in select locations across the country. So far, Tesla’s website in China lists 14 pick-up locations, from Beijing to Wuhan. The company adds that if a vehicle is purchased without a test drive, buyers can return the electric car within three days of purchase for a refund.
With the Model 3 now saturating North America, Tesla is gearing up to bring the electric car to the international market. That said, even before the Model 3 configurator was opened to the public, Tesla was already making the vehicle attractive to potential buyers in China. The Model 3 Performance’s 560,000 RMB price, for one, massively undercuts the price of fossil fuel-powered rivals such as the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe, which cost as much as 998,000 RMB ($162,000) and 1,198,000 RMB ($173,623), respectively. With its superior acceleration, zero emissions, features such as Enhanced Autopilot, and free over-the-air updates, Tesla has all but made the Model 3’s top-tier variant a bang-for-your-buck vehicle in the Asian country.
The start of Model 3 deliveries in China is but the tip of the iceberg for the electric car maker, as Tesla is also constructing Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai. The facility is expected to produce both battery packs and electric vehicles like the Model 3 and the Model Y. Estimates note that Gigafactory 3 would likely commence the production of electric cars sometime in the second half of 2019.
Elon Musk
Musk bankers looking to trim xAI debt after SpaceX merger: report
xAI has built up $18 billion in debt over the past few years, with some of this being attributed to the purchase of social media platform Twitter (now X) and the creation of the AI development company. A new financing deal would help trim some of the financial burden that is currently present ahead of the plan to take SpaceX public sometime this year.
Elon Musk’s bankers are looking to trim the debt that xAI has taken on over the past few years, following the company’s merger with SpaceX, a new report from Bloomberg says.
xAI has built up $18 billion in debt over the past few years, with some of this being attributed to the purchase of social media platform Twitter (now X) and the creation of the AI development company. Bankers are trying to create some kind of financing plan that would trim “some of the heavy interest costs” that come with the debt.
The financing deal would help trim some of the financial burden that is currently present ahead of the plan to take SpaceX public sometime this year. Musk has essentially confirmed that SpaceX would be heading toward an IPO last month.
The report indicates that Morgan Stanley is expected to take the leading role in any financing plan, citing people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley, along with Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase & Co., are all expected to be in the lineup of banks leading SpaceX’s potential IPO.
Since Musk acquired X, he has also had what Bloomberg says is a “mixed track record with debt markets.” Since purchasing X a few years ago with a $12.5 billion financing package, X pays “tens of millions in interest payments every month.”
That debt is held by Bank of America, Barclays, Mitsubishi, UFJ Financial, BNP Paribas SA, Mizuho, and Société Générale SA.
X merged with xAI last March, which brought the valuation to $45 billion, including the debt.
SpaceX announced the merger with xAI earlier this month, a major move in Musk’s plan to alleviate Earth of necessary data centers and replace them with orbital options that will be lower cost:
“In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses! The only logical solution, therefore, is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space. I mean, space is called “space” for a reason.”
The merger has many advantages, but one of the most crucial is that it positions the now-merged companies to fund broader goals, fueled by revenue from the Starlink expansion, potential IPO, and AI-driven applications that could accelerate the development of lunar bases.
News
Tesla pushes Full Self-Driving outright purchasing option back in one market
Tesla announced last month that it would eliminate the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving software outright, instead opting for a subscription-only program, which will require users to pay monthly.
Tesla has pushed the opportunity to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright in one market: Australia.
The date remains February 14 in North America, but Tesla has pushed the date back to March 31, 2026, in Australia.
NEWS: Tesla is ending the option to buy FSD as a one-time outright purchase in Australia on March 31, 2026.
It still ends on Feb 14th in North America. https://t.co/qZBOztExVT pic.twitter.com/wmKRZPTf3r
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 13, 2026
Tesla announced last month that it would eliminate the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving software outright, instead opting for a subscription-only program, which will require users to pay monthly.
If you have already purchased the suite outright, you will not be required to subscribe once again, but once the outright purchase option is gone, drivers will be required to pay the monthly fee.
The reason for the adjustment is likely due to the short period of time the Full Self-Driving suite has been available in the country. In North America, it has been available for years.
Tesla hits major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions
However, Tesla just launched it just last year in Australia.
Full Self-Driving is currently available in seven countries: the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
The company has worked extensively for the past few years to launch the suite in Europe. It has not made it quite yet, but Tesla hopes to get it launched by the end of this year.
In North America, Tesla is only giving customers one more day to buy the suite outright before they will be committed to the subscription-based option for good.
The price is expected to go up as the capabilities improve, but there are no indications as to when Tesla will be doing that, nor what type of offering it plans to roll out for owners.
Elon Musk
Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran amid protest crackdown: report
Roughly 6,000 units were delivered following January’s unrest.
The United States quietly moved thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after authorities imposed internet shutdowns as part of its crackdown on protests, as per information shared by U.S. officials to The Wall Street Journal.
Roughly 6,000 units were delivered following January’s unrest, marking the first known instance of Washington directly supplying the satellite systems inside the country.
Iran’s government significantly restricted online access as demonstrations spread across the country earlier this year. In response, the U.S. purchased nearly 7,000 Starlink terminals in recent months, with most acquisitions occurring in January. Officials stated that funding was reallocated from other internet access initiatives to support the satellite deployment.
President Donald Trump was aware of the effort, though it remains unclear whether he personally authorized it. The White House has not issued a comment about the matter publicly.
Possession of a Starlink terminal is illegal under Iranian law and can result in significant prison time. Despite this, the WSJ estimated that tens of thousands of residents still rely on the satellite service to bypass state controls. Authorities have reportedly conducted inspections of private homes and rooftops to locate unauthorized equipment.
Earlier this year, Trump and Elon Musk discussed maintaining Starlink access for Iranians during the unrest. Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington of encouraging dissent, though U.S. officials have mostly denied the allegations.
The decision to prioritize Starlink sparked internal debate within U.S. agencies. Some officials argued that shifting resources away from Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) could weaken broader internet access efforts. VPNs had previously played a major role in keeping Iranians connected during earlier protest waves, though VPNs are not effective when the actual internet gets cut.
According to State Department figures, about 30 million Iranians used U.S.-funded VPN services during demonstrations in 2022. During a near-total blackout in June 2025, roughly one-fifth of users were still able to access limited connectivity through VPN tools.
Critics have argued that satellite access without VPN protection may expose users to geolocation risks. After funds were redirected to acquire Starlink equipment, support reportedly lapsed for two of five VPN providers operating in Iran.
A State Department official has stated that the U.S. continues to back multiple technologies, including VPNs alongside Starlink, to sustain people’s internet access amidst the government’s shutdowns.
Musk bankers looking to trim xAI debt after SpaceX merger: report
SpaceX launches Crew-12 on Falcon 9, lands first booster at new LZ-40 pad
