After it made Americans queue for blocks to place a deposit, the Model 3 seems to have worked its magic to the Chinese.
Speaking with SouthChinaMorningPost, the brand's Vice President for Asia-Pacific, Ren Yuxuang, said that the People's Republic accounts for a significant number of reservations, without disclosing the figure: "The potential is huge, and Tesla is fully committed to developing for the Chinese market."
Tesla officials' optimism when it comes to the brand's future in the world's number one car market is not, however, shared by all.
"As the infrastructure for new-energy vehicles is not mature enough, customers will prefer cheaper models", commented AutomotiveForesight's consultancy analyst Zhang Yu. "Although Model 3 is claimed to be an affordable one, the price is still too high."
If everything goes as planned and there are no significant delays, Chinese customers who already placed an 8,000 yuan ($1,240) deposit for the Tesla Model 3 should expect their cars to arrive late 2018 or early 2019, following the introduction on the North American market, scheduled for the end of next year.
However, the brand's officials could have an ace up their sleeve in the long run, as reports indicate towards an imminent announcement of a first Tesla plant in China.