First Tesla Model 3 spotted outside the US seen in Auckland

A Tesla Model 3 prototype seen arriving at the Auckland airport has got global attention.

It’s the first time that the vehicle has been spotted outside the US, Electrek reports.

“It increases significantly the distance of a sighting from Tesla’s Palo Alto headquarters, where most Model 3 release candidates have been spotted so far.”

On the Auckland EV owners group and Tesla Talk New Zealand group on Facebook, several people have been sharing pictures of the vehicle on a shipping platform at the airport.

Last year, Tesla said it was seeing ‘overwhelming demand for Model 3’ in New Zealand. But Kiwi Model 3 reservation holders shouldn’t get too excited since it doesn’t mean that Tesla is preparing to ship the vehicle for customers in the country, Electrek says.

The plan has always been to progressively increase the radius of deliveries around the Fremont factory in California.

The Model 3 wasn’t expected in New Zealand until well into 2018 – especially since it’s a right-hand drive market.

The first deliveries are still planned for July in California and Tesla will start going east through the US from there.

Jehan Kateli uploaded an image on the NZ EV Owners Facebook page of a Tesla 3 at Auckland Airport.
“This is possibly the first ever Model 3 sighting in a country other than the USA,” he says.

A New Zealand EV owners group speculates the left-hand drive Model 3 may be here for winter testing.