Tesla to start delivering Model 3 in Europe in February

Tesla has gotten regulatory approval to start delivering its Model 3 mid-size electric sedan in Europe, Bloomberg reported Monday. 

After getting the green light from Dutch vehicle authority RDW, the company is slated to start delivering the Long Range Battery variant of the Model 3 in February. 

It’s been a long wait for European customers, many of whom reserved a Model 3 back in early 2016 when the pre-orders first opened. UK customers will have to wait a little longer still; The Telegraph notes that production of right-hand Model 3s is slated to start in mid-2019. 

The news comes days after Tesla announced a 7% workforce cut. CEO Elon Musk said the layoffs were necessary for the company to keep turning a profit as it starts producing cheaper variants of the Model 3. 

There’s other good news for European Tesla customers too, both current and future. In a tweet Tuesday, Musk promised an important new feature, Navigate on Autopilot, is “coming soon” to Europe. The feature allows Tesla cars to change lanes and take exits on highways autonomously, with driver supervision. 

And in December 2018, Musk promised to extend Supercharger coverage in Europe to 100% sometime in 2019.