Tesla: patience needed in China

He said if that mentality gains momentum in China, both Tesla and other electric carmakers will succeed.

In fact, local authorities in many big cities have offered favorable policies for Tesla.

The company had just been added to the list of brands eligible for new-energy license plates in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The city introduced a lottery system in late 2014 and it is getting increasingly difficult to win license plates for gasoline cars.

Tesla has the same privilege in Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

In addition, its models will be also exempt from the last-digit rule in Beijing that forbids cars with certain license plates from hitting the road on specific dates.

Analysts said the exemption will prove attractive to consumers in the capital, adding that it also indicates the carmaker is improving its relations with the Beijing city government.

Despite its sagging sales in 2014, Tesla is planning for more aggressive moves in the Chinese market.

Founder and CEO Elon Musk said Tesla will start local production in China within three years while he attended a forum in Hainan province in late March.

Reyes denied speculation that his talk is merely a tactic to woo customers but he said it is way too early to offer details about who it will partner with in the country or even the company's standards for choosing partners.