Tesla has increased the price of the Model Y all-electric crossover in China. Tesla increased the Model Y variants by 8,000 RMB ($1,226) after a top-three sales performance shows there is plenty of demand for the vehicle.
The Dual Motor Long Range All-Wheel Drive increased from ¥339,900 to ¥347,900, while the Performance variant rose from ¥369,900 to 377,900.
The Model Y was first introduced to the Chinese market in January 2021 after Tesla began deliveries of the vehicle right after the New Year. It has only been available for a few months in China, but that hasn’t restricted the vehicle from becoming one of the most popular electric cars in the market.
Most recent sales figures show that Tesla’s demand is quite healthy in China. While the Model 3 took second place in February 2021 sales figures, the Model Y quickly rose to the podium as well, snagging the bronze medal for the month. The Model Y didn’t even crack the Top 20 in sales in January, but it was expected as it was the vehicle’s first month of availability in China.
China has been a major point of focus for Tesla since first delivering vehicles there in late 2019 and early 2020. In a recent interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated that he believes China will be the automaker’s most crucial region in the coming years, and it could be due to the sheer size of the automotive sector. China has the most vehicles on the road out of any country in the world. Tesla stands to benefit greatly as an increased focus on sustainable transportation by the Chinese government could substantially boost sales figures for the company.
Musk said:
“China in the long term will be our biggest market, both where we make the most number of vehicles and where we have the most number of customers. I’d like to strike an optimistic note, and I’m very confident that the future of China is going to be great and that China is headed towards being the biggest economy in the world and a lot of prosperity in the future.”
The Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that his country would reduce carbon emissions per unit of economic output by 18% by 2025. Additionally, China has plans to be carbon neutral by 2060, a tall task for the world’s most densely populated country. “These are very aggressive goals, and I think they are great goals, and I wish other countries had these goals,” Musk said.
The Model Y will continue to soar across the world as production of the vehicle is expected to begin at Tesla’s Giga Berlin production factory later this year.