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Tesla Model 3 Performance targets BMW M3 with ultra-competitive pricing in China
Following an announcement from authorities about the upcoming suspension of extra tariffs placed on vehicles imported from the United States, Tesla has reduced the pricing of some Model S and Model X variants in China. The Model 3, which is expected to start deliveries next year, also received some price adjustments.
As it turns out, the recent price reduction to the Model 3 Performance has made the vehicle incredibly competitive in price against rivals like the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe. When Tesla initially allowed Chinese reservation holders to configure their Model 3, the Performance variant was listed with a price of 689,000 RMB (roughly $100,000). With the recent adjustments, though, the Performance variant’s price has been reduced to just 560,000 RMB (around $81,000).
By adopting such a pricing strategy, Tesla has all but made the Model 3 Performance as one of the best bang-for-the-buck sports sedans in the country. After all, the BMW M3 — a vehicle that the all-electric car is competing with — currently sells for 998,000 RMB ($162,000). The Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe, another high-performance, luxury sedan competing in the same market, currently costs 1,198,000 RMB ($173,623).
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- The Tesla Model 3 Performance’s current price in China. (Photo: vincent13031925/Twitter)
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- The BMW M3’s price in the Chinese market. (Photo: vincent13031925/Twitter)
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- A screenshot of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe’s pricing in China. (Photo: vincent13031925/Twitter)
The current prices of the Model 3 Performance, BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe in China. (Credit: vincent13031925/Twitter)
With instant torque, superior 0-60 mph times, free over-the-air updates, and Enhanced Autopilot, the Model 3 Performance’s 560,000 RMB price is nothing short of a bargain. Being an all-electric car, the Model 3 Performance is also a zero-emissions vehicle, making it a perfect fit for China’s aggressive push towards the adoption of EVs. With even its price being an advantage against its rivals, it would not be surprising if the Tesla Model 3 Performance ends up outselling its ICE-powered rivals in China.
Since adjusting the prices of its vehicles, Tesla’s stores in the Asian economic powerhouse have experienced a large influx of customers. Reports from local media outlets, for one, noted that numerous electric car buyers visited Tesla’s retail stores after the Model S and X’s prices were lowered. It did not take long before Tesla began sending out emails to customers apologizing for delays resulting from the increase in demand for its vehicles.
“Dear customers who have been appointed:
Due to the adjustment of tariffs & new pricing, the biz volume in these 2 days is skyrocketing. We will send new contract to everyone tonight. Plz be patient. TY for ur support & love for @Tesla China.”
thx @bruceyanchen $TSLA pic.twitter.com/t4qQ5nv0vh— vincent (@vincent13031925) December 18, 2018
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Tesla’s electric cars might already be more affordable with their updated prices, but the company is aiming to lower the cost of its vehicles even further. The electric car maker is currently in the process of building Gigafactory 3, a facility that produces both battery packs and electric cars. Reports from local Chinese media have suggested that the factory would start producing vehicles in the second half of 2019. Two vehicles will be manufactured in Gigafactory 3 — the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y SUV, both of which are set to compete with mainstream local-made EVs.
The construction of Gigafactory 3 is already underway. Recent drone footage reveals that a perimeter fence has been set up in the company’s 864,885-square meter plot of land in Shanghai’s Lingang Industrial Zone. The site has been attracting a lot of interest from the country’s workforce as well, with a recent job fair getting extended due to the overwhelming number of applicants applying for openings on Gigafactory 3.
Tesla has launched a new Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y vehicles in the United States, meaning you can now power devices like laptops or light strings with your vehicle’s battery.
It appears the capability will be available for any Model Y Premium trim, including those that were purchased prior to the Adapter being launched. It will also only impact Juniper Model Y vehicles, so the first-gen owners will unfortunately not have access to this capability.
If your Model Y was purchased before Tesla renamed the trim levels to “Premium” and “Standard,” it does not seem to be compatible. My Model Y is technically a Premium build, as it is the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive. However, Tesla says it is not compatible with my vehicle.
🚨 Tesla has launched the Outlet Adapter for Model Y Premium in the U.S., enabling V2L capability for all Premium trims (that’s what it appears to be as it is available for purchase with all Premium trims)
It’s available for $80. 2.4kW max power and rated for 120v, 20A pic.twitter.com/lDxlVIk5s8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
For $80, you can now utilize your car as a portable charger for small appliances or devices. This is perfect for things like tailgates, concerts, or camping, as you can now plug in devices that you might use. Those string lights for camping? That laptop for the other games that are on at the tailgate?
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They’ll both utilize energy from your Tesla’s battery to be powered. This is the first time Tesla has expanded the capability to vehicles outside of the Model Y Performance and Cybertruck. However, this feature has been highly requested by owners for an extended period of time.
Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter in China last year:
Tesla China rolls out Model Y L V2L adapter, and it’s free for early owners
You will need the Mobile Connector to operate the Outlet Adapter: the Outlet Adapter will plug into the main housing of the Mobile Connector, where the appropriate adapter to charge your vehicle will plug in.
It is rated for 120 volts and 20 amps, and has a max power rating of 2.4kW.
You can buy it here from Tesla for $80.
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Tesla is nearing its long-awaited unveiling of the all-electric Tesla Roadster, a new report from The Information claims, as the company has said several times this year that the event would take place “soon.”
Now, it appears there is movement on Tesla’s end regarding when it will happen.
The report says that Tesla will unveil the Roadster as soon as this month with a SpaceX version that will utilize cold-gas thrusters to help the vehicle float for a short period of time. This is something CEO Elon Musk has talked about with the Roadster for years.
🚨 The Information is reporting this morning that Tesla is ready to unveil the “flying” Roadster as soon as this month
It’s almost here, folks. pic.twitter.com/IdL4atsucQ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
Additionally, due to the delays, Tesla explored “a variety of designs” for the Roadster, potentially planning to abandon the design it showed off for the first time in 2017 and adopting an entirely new aesthetic.
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According to The Information, Tesla considered utilizing a repurposed Model S Plaid and even wanted to upgrade the look to something like a Lamborghini Countach.
We’ve heard all of these things before, including teases about the date and how “soon” the Roadster will finally be ready to be shown off to the world (for the second time). Musk said that the event would occur in April, then May, then Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen continued to say it would be coming “soon.”
We do expect to see the Roadster by the end of the year, and now with this new report swirling, it appears it could be sooner rather than later.
The wait has been incredibly long, but there is likely a good reason for it. Tesla’s desire to make the Roadster the craziest vehicle on the road was non-negotiable, and it likely took a lot of time and resources to develop and perfect into something that was safe and suitable for a vehicle like this.
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Tesla finally got its Nevada Robotaxi Permit but with a few catches hard to miss
Nevada granted Tesla’s robotaxi permit, but capped the fleet at just ten vehicles for now.
Tesla has received its robotaxi permit in Nevada, more than two months after regulators closed the public comment period on the company’s application. News of the approval surfaced Wednesday night when Tesla investor and longtime company watcher Sawyer Merritt posted a copy of the interim order, and the Nevada Transportation Authority’s own carrier registry now lists the permit, AVNC Permit 002 under Docket 26-05015, as active for Tesla Robotaxi, LLC.
Tesla asked Nevada in June for authority to run up to 5,000 vehicles in Clark County within a year, however the permit the NTA issued is initially capping Tesla at ten fully autonomous vehicles and confines them to a defined geofence along the Las Vegas Strip corridor. Any expansion of that operating area, or any increase to the fleet size, requires the NTA’s approval first.
Tesla has received its Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit in Nevada.
The Nevada Transportation Authority says that operations are limited to a maximum fleet of 10 fully autonomous vehicles and shall be conducted only within the Authority-approved Operational Design… https://t.co/Cxfd6GIfDk pic.twitter.com/iOO6wSZkHF
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 13, 2026
The order also sets rules that look more restrictive than what Tesla runs in Austin. Rides are barred on roads with posted speed limits above 45 miles per hour, pickups are off limits within a quarter mile of Harry Reid International Airport without separate authorization, and every vehicle has to carry visible “Robotaxi” markings while notifying riders before each trip that no one is driving. The order also requires “appropriate human supervision”, language that suggests Nevada isn’t ready to let Tesla offer the rides without a safety monitor that it has run in parts of Austin since January. As with standard protocol with robotaxi services, Tesla must report any accident, system failure, or vehicle that becomes stranded on a Nevada road within five business days.
Tesla is entering a market Nevada already knows well. Zoox, the Amazon owned robotaxi company, has run its own autonomous vehicle permit in the state since last year, building up to roughly 100 vehicles and 350,000 rides along the Strip. That history likely explains why the NTA started Tesla at ten cars rather than the fleet size the company asked for. The agency has a template for scaling a permit up once a company proves out its safety record.
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Tesla’s Nevada application first surfaced in June, when the company filed for the permit alongside plans for a maintenance hub in southwest Las Vegas. The company has said it won’t meaningfully scale its robotaxi fleet anywhere until FSD v15 ships, expected in late 2026 or early 2027, which makes the ten vehicle cap less of a constraint today than it might look on paper. For now, Tesla has the legal right to start Nevada rides. Whether it starts before FSD v15 arrives is a separate question the permit doesn’t answer.
Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S.
Tesla Roadster unveiling nears, and it will fly: The Information
