Tesla formally entered the Malaysian market after internet hosting a launch occasion at Pavilion KL, a high-end shopping center situated in Kuala Lumpur. That is the most recent Proper Hand Drive market after the UK, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Thailand.
The occasion showcased all Tesla Mannequin Y variants for the primary time, together with the Rear Wheel Drive, Lengthy Vary, and Efficiency. The general public can view and expertise these eco-friendly EVs till October thirty first. Tesla started accepting on-line orders every week in the past beginning at RM199,000 and can start supply in early 2024.
On the similar time, Tesla introduced it should open the primary Supercharging Station location in Malaysia proper underneath the mall at basement parking stage B1. At launch, it should have a complete of eight V3 Superchargers with CCS2 connectors working at an effectivity of 250 kW, permitting the Mannequin Y to be charged up with 75 miles (120 kilometers) of vary in 5 minutes.
Tesla has plans to open a number of Supercharging stations at strategic places to cowl widespread locations throughout the nation. Round 10 places may be noticed on the charging map. Goal opening dates are nonetheless to be confirmed with a big quantity being situated inside Kuala Lumpur.
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Malaysia is among the few places the place Tesla is a latecomer to the celebration. Many sturdy EV opponents entered this market fairly a while in the past. These embody Audi, BMW, BYD, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Good (quickly to launch), Volvo, and lots of extra to come back, together with the homegrown model Proton (partnering with Geely).
Some native lovers and early adopters have been noticed driving Tesla EVs by importing the automobiles utilizing personal channels, whereas some Singaporeans posted on-line images of cross-border street journeys driving all through the nation. Tesla’s aggressive pricing and superior tech may very well be a bonus that could be engaging to native consumers and provide Tesla an opportunity to achieve a number one title for market shares.
Time will inform if Tesla will probably be successful, however one factor is for certain: its speedy growth of Supercharging stations will probably be powerful to compete with, identical to what we have seen in different world markets. The easy plug-and-play charging expertise is a bonus for the agency.
In line with the Minister of Worldwide Commerce and Trade, Tesla is required to finish 50 Superchargers inside three years and 30 p.c of them should be open to different manufacturers as a part of the approval to permit the institution of Tesla within the nation. Earlier within the yr, figures confirmed Malaysia had 900 charging factors and it was anticipated to offer as much as 4,000 charging factors by the tip of 2023.
Onwards, the nation’s roadmap for EV charging stations is focusing on round 10,000 stations by 2025, which will probably be comprised of 1,000 DC items and 9,000 AC items. Much like Europe, Tesla homeowners from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, as soon as a ample variety of Supercharging places are accomplished, ought to have the ability to do a street journey between all three international locations with out worrying about vary anxiousness.
Will this new market addition for Tesla’s progress assist preserve its inventory worth on the latest excessive or achieve a foothold above $300? Or for a lot of anticipated Mannequin S and Mannequin X followers, will this new Proper Hand Drive market generate sufficient demand for Elon to rethink relaunching the RHD fashions in order that Malaysia and lots of RHD markets can as soon as once more have entry to the complete Tesla lineup?