Model 3 production for Europe launched
According to CEO Elon Musk, Tesla will be producing significant numbers of the Model 3 slated for export both to Europe and China thus requiring new plugs.
Tesla Model 3 production for the European market will be starting this January to launch deliveries in February. China will also likely see the delivery start in the first quarter of the year, and the first photo of a Model 3 equipped with charging ports for the Chinese market is already on the net.
Proof of the first Model 3manufactured for the European market was found with the first registered European VINs. Tesla is currently producing about 4,600 Model 3 vehicles per week.
The charging ports of the Model 3 will be adapted to meet local standards for the European and Chinese markets. In China, the Californian company are using the same charging system on their superchargers as in Europe. However, the Chinese government introduced the GB/T 20234 standard for their public fast-charging network. As early as October 2017, Tesla presented a new charging connection design for the Model S and Model X, which showed two parallel connections with the Chinese standard and the previously used Type 2 interface. Tesla will also deliver Model 3 in China with both connectors. A picture of a Model 3 with the new loading port for the Chinese market confirms this assumption:
Model 3 with China GB charge ports spotted running around, likely testing compatibility with public charging stations pic.twitter.com/zjorEQIOnq
— Kelvin Yang (@KelvinYang7) January 2, 2019
In Europe, the Model 3 will be fitted with the CCS (Combined Charging System). This means that instead of the two charging ports on the Chinese version, there will only be one charging port. The local superchargers in China and Europe are also slowly being fitted with CCS interfaces. Drew Bennett, Tesla’s global charging infrastructure head, stated that the company is planning an “immense” retrofitting of superchargers around the world to guarantee that Tesla drivers can follow the road wherever they please. Model S and Model X owners will not be disadvantaged, however, and will be equipped with a CCS adapter for their vehicles.
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