Tesla officially starts selling cars in China.

Government exempts third Tesla car model from purchase tax.

A company spokesman told Reuters on Monday that Tesla, the American manufacturer of electric vehicles, will begin supplying third-model cars built at its Shanghai plant, according to UNV.

Construction of the first plant outside the United States began in January, and production in October. It aims to produce 250 thousand cars a year. A company spokesman added that the first 15 customers who receive cars on December 30 are Tesla employees.

The delivery date on December 30 means that the plant will begin to supply automobiles to customers only 357 days after the start of construction of the plant, which will be a record for global automakers in China.

Chinese-made cars cost up to $ 50,000 in subsidies, and Tesla said it wants to start deliveries before the Chinese New Year begins on January 25th.

The Shanghai factory is part of the Silicon Valley automaker’s plans to strengthen its presence in the world’s largest automobile market and minimize the impact of the US-China trade war.

The automaker is already serving China, the world’s largest electric car market, where 1.3 million new-energy cars were sold last year. He also builds service centers and charging stations throughout China to provide customers with standardized after-sales services.

The Chinese government also supports the plant, which is the first Chinese car factory to be wholly owned by a foreigner, and reflects the broader government shifts to open its car market.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Friday it added a third Tesla car made in China to the list of new energy vehicles that are exempt from purchase taxes.