- Chinese customers hoping for delivery before year-end can opt for in-stock vehicles.
- Customers receiving deliveries next year will face higher purchase tax costs.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has seen the wait time for its highest-priced, most powerful Model 3 electric sedan variant in China extend to February next year, following a similar shift last week for the six-seat Model Y L SUV (sport utility vehicle).
Customers ordering the Model 3 Performance variant, which starts at RMB 339,500 yuan ($48,030), now face an estimated delivery date of February 2026, according to Tesla China's website.
Tesla promoted this change on Weibo, advising potential buyers to place orders early to take advantage of purchase tax incentives still available within this year.
Delivery wait times for the three lower-priced Model 3 variants -- starting at RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500 -- remain unchanged today at 4-6 weeks.
Notably, all variants of the electric sedan still have in-stock vehicles available. Tesla China's website continues to display a reminder that consumers seeking delivery before year-end can choose from current inventory.
China's current new energy vehicle (NEV) purchase tax reduction policy will be scaled back next year, meaning buyers receiving deliveries then will face higher tax costs.
Tesla began encouraging Chinese customers on November 20 to purchase newly produced inventory vehicles to maximize year-end deliveries.
On December 5, the delivery wait time for the six-seat Model Y L extended from 4-8 weeks to February 2026, according to CnEVPost's daily monitoring.
For all Model Y variants, including the five-seat version, custom orders won't be delivered until January 2026 at the earliest.
Tesla China's November wholesale sales reached 86,700 vehicles, including both domestic sales and exports from China to overseas markets, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
This represents a 9.95 percent increase from the 78,856 units sold in the same period last year and a 40.98 percent rise from October's 61,497 units.
Its November deliveries in China and exports from the Shanghai factory are expected to be available later today.
($1 = RMB 7.0684)
