Tesla China scraps 'order now' option for two imported EVs

HONG KONG: Tesla Inc.'s website in China has removed the "order now" option for Model S and Model X electric vehicles, which are both imported, just days after China retaliated against US President Donald Trump's tariffs by raising levies of its own.

Tesla's China website was offering an "order now" option for the two models as of the end of March, according to an archived screen shot by Wayback Machine, but that had been removed as of today.

Existing inventory, such as a white Model S for 759,900 yuan (RM460,000), is still available.

Representatives for Tesla in China didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump is imposing a 125% charge designed to both counter America's trade deficit with China and punish Beijing for retaliating against US import taxes.

The number, published in a White House memo Thursday, comes in addition to a 20% levy put in place earlier this year over China's role in fentanyl trafficking, taking total tariffs on China to 145%.

China has hit back at the US, raising levies on all US goods to 84%. Beijing also more recently said it will reduce the number of American films allowed to enter the country.

Tesla's Shanghai factory only makes Model 3 and Model Y cars and most of them are either sold in China or exported to other parts of Asia.

Anyone wanting to buy a Model S or Model X in China needs to get them imported.

However the Model S and Model X only make up a fraction of Tesla's sales in China, at just under 2,000 vehicles last year compared to about 661,820 for both the Model 3 and Model Y, data from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center show.

Even though that won't mean a huge hit to Tesla's sales in the world's biggest automobile market, Elon Musk's EV maker hasn't been going well in China regardless.

Volumes from Tesla's plant on the outskirts of Shanghai have been falling for six straight months, with first-quarter deliveries seeing a 22% decline.

One of the largest threats to Tesla in China comes from BYD Co., which is now by far and away China's No. 1 selling car brand.

Global deliveries meanwhile for Tesla have slumped to the lowest level in three years, as Musk faces an international backlash over his involvement in politics.

In a related development, Tesla has unveiled a revised Cybertruck RWD, now branded as the Cybertruck Long Range RWD, for US$70,000 (RM311,000) in the US and Mexico.

The new version is US$9,000 (RM40,000) costlier than the earlier US$62,000 model yet offers a notable improvement in range, covering 563km on a single charge — an increase of 160km over the prior specification.

It is equipped with a single rear-wheel-drive motor that appears to use the same battery pack as the Dual Motor and Cyberbeast models. Orders have been opened via Tesla’s online configurator, with deliveries scheduled to start in June.

However, this updated model sacrifices several features compared to its predecessor.

The powered tonneau, which is standard on earlier releases, is omitted, although a soft tonneau accessory is available for an additional US$750, providing a slight boost in range to 582km.

Other missing items include adaptive suspension, a rear lightbar, the rear screen, and bed outlets.

Critics argue that these concessions may render the US$70,000 variant less appealing, as the stripped-back features could diminish the vehicle’s overall attractiveness in a competitive market that increasingly demands well-equipped trucks. — With additional reporting from other sources