Electric car maker Tesla is looking to expand beyond its success in the US, with the badge securing its first-ever sale in mainland China.
A 24-year-old man from Dongyang city, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, has become the first person amongst the country’s 1.3 billion citizens to own a Tesla car.
The man already owns a luxury car rental business, according to a report in the Qianjiang Evening News, a Zhejiang newspaper.
The all-electric luxury sedan had to be shipped to Dongyang from Tesla’s store on Hong Kong Island, as Tesla has not yet opened a store in mainland China.
Ownership will not come without its problems. Because there are no showrooms currently on the mainland, there is nowhere to swap batteries or service the Tesla.
In stark contrast, Tesla’s Hong Kong store had already notched up over 300 cash deposits of $5000 to $42,500 to reserve a model S by September, even before the company said how much the car would cost.
Although pricing for the Tesla Model S for Hong Kong customers has not been revealed, CarAdvice has been advised by the store that the entry-level model will start from HK$600,000 ($80,000).
