Those looking to buy a Tesla Model S in China are getting one heck of an incentive in the form of a $15K licence plate that’s being thrown in to the deal. This isn’t some jewel-covered license plate frame, but the actual value of just getting a license plate for the car in China.
You can’t just get a plate any time you buy a car in Shanghai, China, but instead have to participate in a government-run auction that’s intended to limit the number of cars on the road in an effort to combat pollution and traffic. Plates were selling for as much as $15K since they were in such short supply.
They do exempt electric vehicles since they’re not producing the pollution of their gas counterparts, but only if the vehicle in question was made in China. If the electric car has origins outside China, then the manufacturer is granted the same free plate, but only for the first 3,000 vehicles. Anything above that number would only get the same perk if the automaker petitions the government for additional plates.
The Tesla Model S, which will sell for $121,000 to $141,000 in China, is set to go on sale there next month so those purchasing the vehicle will be getting their plates for free. Once Tesla hits that 3,000 vehicle cap, which could take awhile, we’ll have to see if the $15K perk gets extended.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
