The Tesla Model Y is expected to hit the Chinese market in the coming months as reports emerged that the electric crossover is now in production mode at the Gigafactory in Shanghai. Assembled units of the mini-SUV were seen in the facility's parking complex in recent days, the latest indicator that the EV is rolling out soon.
Chinese YouTuber Wu Wa did a drone flyover at Giga Shanghai last week and the video that was shared to the world showed several Model Y units seemed ready for delivery. Tesla did not confirm the claims made on the footage but in any case, the crossover will be the third EV model that that automaker has produced locally in China.
The first was the Model 3 that came out at the start of 2020 and initially became available to select Tesla employees. If indeed the Model Y is set for a commercial debut in the country soon, then Tesla is expected to push out the crossover in the same manner as the Model 3.
According to CNET, the initial batch of completed Model 3s were first sold to Tesla employees so it would not be surprising that the Model Y will take the same route. There is no specific timeline yet on when the SUV will be made available to the general consumers but the best guess is the first quarter of 2021.
Per the same report, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is upbeat that the latest EV model of his company will be a big hit in China, and he has a similar projection in the United States and Europe. The forecast makes sense as SUV and crossover are the rage right now in many markets around the world.
Of note, the Model Y was first unveiled in the early months of 2020 but Musk delayed the availability in concurrence to his intention of selling Tesla EVs to markets where they are locally manufactured, according to Electrek.
Following that approach, it can be said that China will be the first to get the Model Y outside of the United States. Tesla is building another Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany and it will not start producing vehicles until next year so Europeans will likely wait a little longer to get a taste of the electrified SUV.
The Model Y, nonetheless, is anticipated to become one of Tesla's best selling EV lines. In China alone, industry analysts are saying that the crossover's popularity will be unprecedented, possibly eclipsing the delivery figures projected for the SUV in the United States.
When it becomes widely available next year, Tesla is predicted to sell up to 30,000 units of the Model Y, said the same report.
