What happened
Shares of Tesla (TSLA 12.06%) rose on Monday after CEO Elon Musk said the electric vehicle (EV) maker's Model S Plaid luxury sedan is likely to make its debut in China in March.
By the close of trading, Tesla's stock price was up 1.7%, after rising as much as 5.7% earlier in the day.
So what
"Model S Plaid is sickkkk!!!!," Musk said on Twitter early Monday morning. That led to a question asking when the new luxury vehicle would arrive in China. Musk replied, "Probably around March."
The Tesla Model S Plaid. Image source: Tesla.
Tesla bills the Model S Plaid as the "highest-performing sedan ever built," with the "longest range and quickest acceleration of any electric vehicle in production." With over 1,000 horsepower at peak power, it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just under two seconds and reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.
The Model S Plaid, however, also comes with a hefty price tag starting at $124,490.
Now what
Still, the Model S Plaid could provide a boost to Tesla's sales in China, which is seen as a massive growth market for the EV maker.
On Friday, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives boosted his price forecast for Tesla's stock from $1,100 per share to $1,400. Ives sees Tesla's expansion in China as key to its long-term success in a global EV hardware and software market that could approach a staggering $5 trillion over the next decade.
Incredibly, Ives estimates that Tesla could capture as much as half of this potentially colossal market. That leaves plenty of room for continued growth for the EV leader.
