The coronavirus is forcing Tesla to delay Model 3 deliveries in China

Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Model 3s made at Tesla's factory in Shanghai.

• Deliveries of Tesla Model 3 sedans made in China will be delayed due to the Wuhan coronavirus.
• Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn said in late January that the electric-car maker expected a production delay of up to a week-and-a-half at its Shanghai factory due to a government-ordered closure.
• The shutdown won't have a big effect on Tesla's first-quarter financial results, Kirkhorn said at the time, as the Shanghai factory isn't yet a major factor in the company's earnings.
• Over 24,000 people have contracted the coronavirus, at least 494 of whom have died from it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Deliveries of Tesla Model 3 sedans made in China will be delayed due to the Wuhan coronavirus, an executive for the electric-car maker said on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, CNBC reported.

"The proposed delivery (of cars) in early February will be delayed," said Tao Lin, a communications and marketing executive focused on China, according to CNBC's report. "We will catch up the production line once the outbreak situation gets better."

Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn said in late January that the company expected production at its factory in Shanghai to be delayed by a week to a week-and-a-half due to a government-ordered closure motivated by the coronavirus,

The shutdown won't have a significant impact on Tesla's first-quarter financial results, Kirkhorn said at the time, as the Shanghai factory is not yet a major contributor to the company's earnings. Tesla wa not aware of any major disruptions to the supply chain at is Fremont, California, factory, Kirkhorn added.

Tesla started delivering Model 3 sedans made at the Shanghai factory only 11 months after construction began, a development that indicates the company's history of production delays may be behind it. The first deliveries of Shanghai-made Model 3s have likely contributed to the massive increase in Tesla's stock price over the past four months, from $255 when the company reported a surprise third-quarter profit in October to $855 when markets opened on Wednesday.

Over 24,000 people in at least 26 countries have contracted the coronavirus. A minimum of 494 people have died from it.

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.

• Read more:
• Tesla shares plunge a record 21% after more than doubling to start 2020
• The CFOs of Ford and GM reveal the biggest open secret in the car business right now: There's an auto market and there's a Tesla market.
• Renowned strategist Tom Lee pinpoints why exactly Tesla has surged 100% in just a month - and explains why it's still one of his top stock picks of 2020
• Watch the moment a Tesla Model 3's camera catches a man peeing on another Model 3 across the street

NOW WATCH: 62 new emoji and emoji variations were just finalized, including a bubble tea emoji and a transgender flag. Here's how everyday people submit their own emoji.