US-based auto company Tesla announced on January 23, 2014 the base pricing of its electric car Model S in China. The electric car maker released a statement which said that the Model S electric sedan has been priced at 734,000 yuan, which is $121,300. The car comes with the premium 85 kWh battery pack and has been launched in China, as it is the largest auto market in the world.
The aggressive pricing of the vehicle has been set as the company is looking to ‘advance the cause of electric cars’. The price of the vehicle is the same as in the United States, if custom duties, unavoidable taxes and transportation costs are excluded from it. The statement from the company says, “This pricing structure is something of a risk for Tesla, but we want to do the right thing for Chinese consumers”.
The statement went on to say that if they were to follow the standard industry practice, then they could get away with charging twice as much for the vehicle in China as they do in the United States. The company also indicated that it will build a free-to-use supercharger network across China, which will help it to facilitate the use of electric cars.
For now, Tesla has one showroom and sales and service center in Beijing.
Photo Credits: Wallstcheatsheet
