Tesla Model 3 Shipment Arrives In Europe  

Tesla is a step closer to imminently starting Model 3 deliveries in Europe as the first cargo ship loaded with its sedans arrived at a Belgian port last night, Electrek reports.

In January, Tesla loaded Model 3s for shipment to Europe and China on up to five cargo ships, and one of them has already arrived in Belgium, according to sightings from eager customers in Europe.

Tesla expects to begin deliveries of its Model 3 to Europe this month, after receiving in January permission to sell the model in the Netherlands.

The Dutch vehicle authority RDW has added Model 3 to the type of vehicles it has authorized for sale, with which Tesla cleared the final hurdle to start delivering the model to the European market.

Just like with U.S. sales of Model 3, Tesla will start delivering in Europe the Long Range Battery version of the midsize sedan.

Model 3 is key to Tesla’s vehicle offering as it aims to make its electric cars affordable to more people.

Model 3 will also help Tesla compete on the premium car market in Europe which is being dominated by German brands BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.

Deliveries of Model 3 outside the United States will be a crucial development for Tesla, whose chief executive Elon Musk has said that he wasn’t worried about Model 3 setbacks because of the drop in the U.S. tax credit, as he expected deliveries to Europe and China to take off.

In its Q4 Update letter, Tesla said last week that “In January 2019, we started to produce Model 3 vehicles for Europe and China, and the car is now fully certified for sale in these markets. The market opportunity for Model 3 in Europe and China exceeds North America based on the most recent sales of mid-sized premium sedans. Model 3 was designed from the outset for a global market, and shares more than 98% of its parts in common across its regional variants.”

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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