• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Tesla’s Model X Poised to Enter China

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 2, 2016, 4:12 PM ET
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during an event to launch the new Tesla Model X Crossover SUV on September 29, 2015 in Fremont, California. After several production delays, Elon Mush officially launched the much anticipated Tesla Model X Crossover SUV. The
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during an event to launch the new Tesla Model X Crossover SUV on September 29, 2015 in Fremont, California. After several production delays, Elon Mush officially launched the much anticipated Tesla Model X Crossover SUV. ThePhotograph by Justin Sullivan — Getty Images

Tesla Motors expects to begin shipping its Model X in China by June, opening what will likely be the second market for the electric SUV after the U.S.

The decision about the timing, announced by the company in a blog post on Tuesday and first reported by Electrek, illustrates the importance of the world’s biggest car market. European countries like Germany and Norway have shipment dates in the second half of the year.

Tesla also announced pricing of the Model X in China. The company is selling a limited edition signature red version of the Model X P90D to Chinese customers for about $225,000. The standard version of the Model X 90D will cost $146,000 to $178,000.

The Model X, which was delivered to its first U.S. customers in September, is Tesla’s third electric car—and arguably its most important. The Model X not only helps Tesla reach a different audience—particularly women—it will generate much-needed revenue to produce and sell a cheaper, more mainstream electric vehicle, the Model 3.

The all-wheel drive Model X has a range between 220 and 257 miles, depending on the battery pack size and can reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The floor-mounted battery, similar to Tesla’s Model S sedan, gives this SUV a low center of gravity. Four suspension settings let the driver raise the vehicle’s clearance, if necessary.

The SUV is loaded with other futuristic features, including falcon-wing doors, and a medical-grade filter system in the car that scrubs the outside air of pollen, bacteria, and other pollutants. CEO Elon Musk has said the filter provides “hospital operating room cleanliness in the car.” Some critics say Musk has exaggerated the filter’s capabilities.

The HEPA filter could be one of the more appealing features to customers in China, a country plagued by chronic air pollution.

For more on Tesla’s Model X

Still, China is notoriously difficult for foreign automakers to penetrate—something Tesla discovered in 2014 when it first entered the market with the Model S. At the time, Tesla appeared well-positioned in China, where demand for luxury goods was growing and the government was encouraging the buying of electric vehicles to help curb pollution.

Tesla invested heavily by going on a hiring spree (it eventually had a staff of 600 people), and opened stores and service centers. It also began an aggressive rollout of its network of free fast-charging stations known as superchargers.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

But those efforts fell short. The company delivered an estimated 3,500 cars in 2014, below its goal and behind electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles produced by Chinese rivals BYD and BAIC.

Musk placed much of the blame on a misconception among Chinese consumers that charging electric cars was difficult. Others argued that infrastructure, in a country where most people don’t have private garages to charge cars, was the real problem. Meanwhile, Chinese-owned electric vehicle automakers have flourished, largely due to rules that favor homegrown companies.

Tesla’s sales were also slowed because the Model S wasn’t initially certified as a “new energy” vehicle, which would have let local governments exempt them from a license plate lottery system used to control the number of cars on the road and the pollution from them. The company neglected to certify itself with each individual city to be included on their selected vehicle list.

Tesla’s prospects in China improved last year with 3,025 vehicles delivered in the first nine months of the year. Full-year results were not available. And sales should continue to improve now that Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Tianjin have added Tesla to its selected new energy vehicle list.

About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
'I meant what I said in Davos': Carney says he really is planning a Canada split with the U.S. along with 12 new trade deals
By Rob Gillies and The Associated PressJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The American taxpayer spent nearly half a billion dollars deploying federal troops to U.S. cities in 2025, CBO finds
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Jeff Bezos capped his Amazon salary at $80,000: ‘How could I possibly need more incentive?’
By Sydney LakeJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Fortune 500 CEOs are no longer giving employees an A for effort. Now they want proof of impact
By Claire ZillmanJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Jerome Powell got a direct question about the U.S. ‘losing credibility’ and the soaring price of gold and silver. He punted
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 29, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Thursday, January 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 29, 2026
24 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

taxi
Commentaryregulation
America’s AI regulatory patchwork is crushing startups and helping China
By James Richardson and Eric TanenblattJanuary 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Photo of Elon Musk
NewslettersTerm Sheet
$100 million-plus funding rounds used to be incredibly rare. Now, 40% of seed and Series A rounds are clearing that bar
By Allie GarfinkleJanuary 30, 2026
2 hours ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple delivers blowout earnings; gets bupkis
By Alexei OreskovicJanuary 30, 2026
2 hours ago
AICollaboration
Are you a cyborg, a centaur, or a self-automator? Why businesses need the right kind of ‘humans in the loop’ in AI
By François Candelon, Katherine Kellogg, Hila Lifshitz and Steven RandazzoJanuary 30, 2026
3 hours ago
HealthScience
As billionaires chase immortality, this startup cofounded by a Harvard genetics professor gets FDA approval for the first partial de-aging human trial
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 30, 2026
5 hours ago
A man works on two computers while a coworker looks on in the background.
AIGen Z
Gen Z believes using AI is making their colleagues dumb and lazy, but may paradoxically see it as key to their own promotion, Wharton says
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 30, 2026
5 hours ago