The first 15 cars to roll off the assembly line were given to employees who had placed advance orders at the Shanghai plant (HECTOR RETAMAL)
<p>Shanghai (AFP) – Tesla delivered its first batch of China-made cars on Monday, less than a year after the electric vehicle company broke ground on its first plant outside the United States.</p><p>Work began on the firm’s multibillion-dollar Shanghai "Gigafactory" in January, allowing the company to skirt trade tensions between China and the US and sell directly to the world’s largest "green" vehicle market.</p><p>The first cars to roll off the assembly line — 15 of Tesla’s mid-price, mass-market Model 3 design — were given to employees who had placed advance orders during a ceremony at the plant.</p><p>Tesla plans to begin large-scale deliveries of China-made Model 3 sedans next month, said the firm’s China general manager Wang Hao.</p><p>The company was now producing more than 1,000 cars per week in China and hoped to double the figure next year, manufacturing director Song Gang told Bloomberg News.</p><p>Chief executive Elon Musk has said production could rise to 3,000 vehicles per week in the future. </p><p>China typically requires foreign automakers to forge joint ventures with domestic firms when establishing manufacturing plants, which means sharing profits and technology with local partners.</p><p>But Tesla’s China venture is wholly owned by the US company, and Tesla’s decision to invest in Shanghai has been rewarded with preferential treatment.</p><p>Authorities last week announced the waiver of a 10 percent purchase tax for locally made Model 3 vehicles, priced at 355,800 yuan ($50,900).</p><p>Earlier in December the government also approved a subsidy of up to 25,000 yuan per car.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.