Benz
Active Member
Every foreign auto manufacturer must work together (form an alliance) with a Chinese auto manufacturer in order to be allowed to sell cars in China.
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artsci
Sponsor
kevin99
Member
Can't wait! video would be nice too. And see if you do a on site interview with potential onlookers?
artsci
Sponsor
Would love to know the details on placing a reservation in China and possibly how many reservations they have. Not sure if they give consecutive #'s for China reservations.
SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
Maybe I’m paranoid or have unfounded prejudices (?), but just thought I could raise the concern: As a westerner (and American), is interviewing Chinese citizens in Beijing with a film camera completely risk free?
kevin99
Member
I did not suggest interviewing and camera at the same time! I will trust a briefing, like a story I posted in the tesla time thread.
artsci
Sponsor
I visited the store this am. It's on the first floor of the Parkview Green mall in an ideal location (just to the right of the main entrance). I arrived there at about 8:30am.
All of the store glass within the mall and street side are covered with Tesla images so you can't seen inside the store, which I thought was very odd given that all of the the mall interior and exterior walls are glass. The store was not open, but peaking through a very thin vertical opening on the front doors I could see a Signature Red inside as well as Tesla clothing and other accessories on display. The store hours were not posted anywhere so I hung around until about 9:15 in the hope that the store would be opened. No luck.
At that hour there were very few people in the mall but as I was with a translator, she asked around about the store. Several mall employees told her the store was not yet open to the public and appointments were necessary to get inside. In fact, the wall near the door had a small sign with "china [email protected]" which I assume was the email address to use for access.
I did shoot a number of photos, which I'll post as soon as I can. But they're all of the mall and street exteriors, not there's not much to see. I suspect the store cannot be opened to the public until Tesla obtains necessary government approvals.
All of the store glass within the mall and street side are covered with Tesla images so you can't seen inside the store, which I thought was very odd given that all of the the mall interior and exterior walls are glass. The store was not open, but peaking through a very thin vertical opening on the front doors I could see a Signature Red inside as well as Tesla clothing and other accessories on display. The store hours were not posted anywhere so I hung around until about 9:15 in the hope that the store would be opened. No luck.
At that hour there were very few people in the mall but as I was with a translator, she asked around about the store. Several mall employees told her the store was not yet open to the public and appointments were necessary to get inside. In fact, the wall near the door had a small sign with "china [email protected]" which I assume was the email address to use for access.
I did shoot a number of photos, which I'll post as soon as I can. But they're all of the mall and street exteriors, not there's not much to see. I suspect the store cannot be opened to the public until Tesla obtains necessary government approvals.
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Thanks for the reconnaissance! It would seem that TM has a bit further to go on the store front. Wish there was a way we could help GB get there quicker.
kevin99
Member
Causalien
Prime 8 ball Oracle
artsci
Sponsor
Nothing. It's complicated, but the translator was a high school student with great English skills provided as a guide for the day in return for some counsel I provided the CEO's daughter regarding undergraduate study in the US.
I've become close to the family so it was really a gesture of friendship.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Sell or build? Porsche, Ferrari, etc has no alliance and they can sell (they do import only).
Benz
Active Member
That is not totally correct. I actually meant to say: "build and sell"
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Build and sell.
Thanks for the correction.
Thank you so much for your reconnaissance. I am going to guess that the store is ready to open, just pending some final regulatory hurdles. I also think that when they are ready to go live, that there is a good chance Elon would go there in person for the Chnese grand opening as he knows how significant the Chnese market could be to the future of Tesla and sustainable transport in general.
artsci
Sponsor
I'm very optimistic that the Model S will be very successful here, with sales exceeding even optimistic projections.
Benz
Active Member
artsci
Sponsor
Had dinner last night with 8 Chinese high school students in Zhuhai, all from very affluent families in China. By and large their parents are driving Mercedes, Audis, and BMWs. I did an informal survey, hardly scientific and completely anecdotal, but perhaps indicative of things to come. The kids are all headed for university study in the US and speak English very well.
First I asked for a raise of hands for those who knew about Nikola Tesla and what he had accomplished. All eight hands shut up. Then I asked them who knew about the Tesla Model S all-electric car. 2 of the eight raised their hands. 25 percent isn't bad for a company that has had zero presence in China.
Guess who will be pushing their parents to buy a Model S?
And here's another photo of why the Model S is likely to take off in China. This is a photo of the gas pump after a fill-up of the Mercedes that shuttled us from Guangzhou to Shenzhen and back.
The fill-up was 615 (about $100) RMB for 73 liters, over 19 gallons at about $5.20 per gallon. I think Tesla has a very good future in China. I was doing all I could to inform the Chinese I met about the brand and the Model S. Most of those I met can afford it, for sure.
First I asked for a raise of hands for those who knew about Nikola Tesla and what he had accomplished. All eight hands shut up. Then I asked them who knew about the Tesla Model S all-electric car. 2 of the eight raised their hands. 25 percent isn't bad for a company that has had zero presence in China.
Guess who will be pushing their parents to buy a Model S?
And here's another photo of why the Model S is likely to take off in China. This is a photo of the gas pump after a fill-up of the Mercedes that shuttled us from Guangzhou to Shenzhen and back.
The fill-up was 615 (about $100) RMB for 73 liters, over 19 gallons at about $5.20 per gallon. I think Tesla has a very good future in China. I was doing all I could to inform the Chinese I met about the brand and the Model S. Most of those I met can afford it, for sure.
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SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
Are you sure?
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Also: It seems to me that Tesla has encountered a hold-up in China.
Thoughts?
Or should we refrain from speculation…
