BEIJING — Tesla Inc. said Friday it has started selling the China-made Model Y crossover and will deliver them to customers starting this month, as the U.S. electric vehicle maker expands sales in the world’s biggest car market.
China, which offers hefty subsidies for EVs as it seeks to cut down on pollution from gasoline or diesel vehicles, is key to Tesla’s global strategy. It is expanding a Shanghai assembly plant, where it also builds the Model 3 sedan. In October, it started exporting the Model 3 to Europe.
It is also adding manufacturing capacity for EV chargers in Shanghai and expanding its sales and service network around the country. It sold over 20,000 vehicles in November.
The starting price of a Model Y in China is now 339,900 yuan ($52,091.95), according to Tesla’s China website.
Tesla’s rivals in China include Volkswagen Group, BMW, as well as local startups such as Nio Inc., Xpeng Inc., and Li Auto Inc., which all build and market electric crossovers models.