Tesla Model 3 Highland Deliveries In China Start Soon, No Word On U.S.

Tesla announced on its Chinese social media channels today that sales of the highly upgraded Tesla Model 3 Highland will begin there by the end of October. But as for when the refreshed sedan will come to the U.S., that remains an open question.

According to a post on the Weibo network, deliveries of the updated Model 3 will happen within days. Previously, the automaker only said that deliveries would begin in the fourth quarter of this year. Only two versions of the car are available right now – entry-level rear-wheel drive and Long-Range all-wheel drive – and the Performance version is expected to join the lineup at a later time.

Additionally, the company’s website says that the estimated wait time for new orders is six to nine weeks, so many drivers will still get their cars this year. 

China and Europe are among the first markets to get the Tesla Model 3, in part because Europe gets its Model 3 from China. But in the case of the U.S., news about the updated Model 3 – which is built in California – is still MIA.

On yesterday’s Q3 earnings call, Tesla’s Senior Director of Investor Relations Martin Viecha punted when asked directly about the Model 3 Highland’s timeline for the U.S. “The next question is, when do you expect Model 3 Highland to be available in the U.S.? I just wanted to address that, unfortunately, we don’t answer product-related questions and timings on an earnings call. So, let’s go to the next one,” Viecha said. 

Tesla is also displaying the new Model 3 in some other markets besides China and Europe, including Malaysia most recently:

The new Tesla Model 3 Highland, according to the specs and the first wave of reviews, appears to be a much better car overall, with updated styling, better quality and even driving range. See below for what we know about prices. 

Tesla Model 3 (Highland) – China

MIC Tesla Model 3 RWD:

• Price: $35,537 (259,900 CNY)
• Range (CLTC): 377 miles (606 km) – up 9.0 percent from 346 miles (556 km)
• 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.1 seconds
• top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h)

MIC Tesla Model 3 AWD:

• Price: $40,459 (295,900 CNY)
• Range (CLTC): 443 miles (713 km) – up 5.6 percent from 420 miles (675 km)
• 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.4 seconds
• top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h)

By the way, the Tesla Model Y also received an update in China, although a very slight one. Interestingly, the company already started customer deliveries of this new Model Y in China.