From June 16 to June 30, Chinese consumers can receive an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy if they purchase a rear-wheel drive version of the Model 3 that has already been produced.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

(NASDAQ: TSLA) first started offering insurance subsidies in China last September, and cut its prices about a month later.

Now the electric vehicle (EV) maker is offering the subsidy again, but this time the situation may be more complicated.

From June 16 to June 30, Chinese consumers who buy and complete delivery of an already produced rear-wheel drive version of the Model 3 will be eligible for an insurance subsidy of RMB 8,000 ($1,120), according to a poster by Tesla on Weibo today.

Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that produces the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y SUV. The Model 3 is available in two versions -- a rear-wheel drive version and a dual-motor all-wheel drive Model 3 Performance, starting at RMB 231,900 and RMB 331,900 respectively.

For customized vehicles, the expected delivery dates for both versions of the Model 3 are 1-4 weeks, consistent with previous information on Tesla's China website.

In addition to the RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, Chinese consumers who purchase the Model 3 rear-wheel drive version in stock now can also receive a loan option with a lower interest rate, Tesla's poster shows, without providing details.

On September 16, 2022, Tesla began offering subsidies for owners to purchase vehicle insurance in China after the wait times for Model 3 and Model Y custom vehicles saw multiple reductions in the previous two months.

At that time, the subsidy was valid from September 16 to September 30, and consumers who chose to purchase insurance in a Tesla store could receive a subsidy of RMB 8,000 for new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

On October 1, 2022, as the subsidy expired, Tesla extended it to the end of last year.

On October 24, 2022, Tesla cut the prices of the entire Model 3 and Model Y lineup in China, with the entry-level Model Y dropping below RMB 300,000 to take advantage of the then-available state subsidy.

It is worth noting that the latest move by Tesla may involve the upcoming launch of an improved version of the model.

On March 1, Reuters reported that Tesla was working to retool its Shanghai assembly plant for a revamped version of the Model 3, a project codenamed Highland by Tesla.

The Highland version of the Model 3 is expected to go into production in Shanghai in September, the Reuters report said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

With Highland, Tesla aims to cut production costs and boost the appeal of the electric sedan, which debuts in 2017, people involved in the project said.

On May 16, a Bloomberg report cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla was nearing the final stages before starting trial production of its updated Model 3 sedan in Shanghai.

Tesla sold 42,508 units at retail in China in May, ranking third in the country's new energy vehicle market with a 7.3 percent share, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on June 9.

Model 3 retail sales in China in May were 11,454 units, up 189.97 percent year-on-year, but down 13.20 percent from April.

Model Y retail sales in China in May were 31,054 units, up 428.58 percent year-on-year and up 16.05 percent from April.

The Model Y was the best-selling SUV in China in May, ahead of the second-place Yuan Plus with 26,072 units and the third-place BYD Song Plus with 22,079 units.

Tesla Model Y best-selling SUV in China in May with 31,054 units sold

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