(Yicai Global) Nov. 29 -- American electric car maker Tesla Inc. [NASDAQ:TSLA] has registered a new-energy vehicle (NEV) research and development company in Beijing with an initial capital of USD2 million under its subsidiary Hong Kong Tesla Technology Ltd., China Business Journal reported yesterday.

The firm has reportedly suffered setbacks in its plans to build a plant in China.

The new company, Tesla (Beijing) New Energy Research and Development Co., was incorporated in October with Zhu Xiaotong acting as legal representative.

The Hong Kong subsidiary has also invested in Tesla's 12 sales companies in Mainland China, with initial capital for all of these companies at USD1 million.

Tesla had previously contacted the Shanghai government about its plan to set up a Chinese plant, an official at China's Ministry of Commerce disclosed last month.