Tesla's China Woes Just Got Worse: XPeng's Model 3 Killer Receives Over 30K Orders In 48 Hours Of Launch

Tesla, Inc.‘s TSLA China recovery could face a risk as a domestic nimble upstart has just launched a product that is selling at a fast pace.

What Happened: XPeng, Inc. XPEV kicked off deliveries of its new low-end electric-vehicle model, Mona M03, at the Chengdu Auto Show, which is being held on Aug. 30 to Sept. 8. The company unveiled the all-electric hatchback coupe, at its 10th Anniversary Gala Night held on Tuesday.

XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng delivered the Mona M03 to its first owners on the show floor, reported CnEVPost adding that volume deliveries of the model would begin imminently. The company reportedly said it received 30,000 firm orders in the first 48 hours of availability, with 55% of the customers under 30 years and 61% men.

The company has unveiled three variants of the electric sedan, with a starting price of 119,800 yuan (around $16,900). This is about half as much as the cost of Tesla’s cheapest made-in-China Model 3 (rear-wheel-drive variant), which is listed at 231,900 yuan on the company’s China website.

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Why It’s Important: Tesla has been facing cut-throat competition in China as the mushrooming upstart ecosystem offers a serious threat to demand. More importantly, the U.S. company is stymied by the lack of a model to cater to the lower end of the market.

Recently, Tesla extended its “zero-interest-rate” financing scheme in China to the end of September, and this was seen by analysts as a signal that the company is still struggling with demand.

Weekly insurance registration data for Tesla EVs has shown an improvement but it may have come at a cost, potentially pressuring margins further.

Price Action: In premarket trading, XPeng ADRs listed on the NYSE rose 3.43% to $8.14, according to Benzinga Pro data. The stock has been seeing some upward momentum this week on the back of a stock purchase by Xiaopeng. Tesla climbed 1.60% to $209.59.

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Photo courtesy: Xpeng