After launching in Singapore and Thailand in the past two years, it appears that Tesla could be establishing its official sales and service presence in Malaysia soon. This opens the possibility of Tesla selling its electric vehicles here in Malaysia backed by its after-sales service and supercharger network.
As reported by Paul Tan, Tesla Services Sdn Bhd, a company that was established with accounting, finance and IT support teams, has recently changed its company name to Tesla Sdn Bhd. What’s interesting is that the nature of business recorded by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) is now listed as “Wholesale and retail of new motor vehicles”, “Other service activities incidental to land transportation N.E.C” and “Maintenance and Repair of motor vehicles”.
SSM documents reveal that the main shareholder is Tesla International BV with 3,598,308 shares and the company is based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands. There are currently four names listed in the directors listing which include two Malaysians and two Americans. The first American director is David Jon Feinstein, who is the Senior Director, Global Trade & New Markets, Finance at Tesla, while the second director Li Li, is a manager at Tesla for Global Supply Management. It is also worth pointing out that David Jon Feinstein is also one of the directors of Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited.
Following the introduction and extension of tax incentives for electric vehicles in Malaysia, more brands have started selling their EV models in our local market. This also includes Volvo which wants to make Malaysia an EV hub and they are currently assembling their XC40 and C40 EVs locally in Shah Alam. At the same time, we are also seeing more EV charging networks being introduced in tandem with the growing demand for EVs.
Tesla started sales of its electric vehicles in Singapore in 2021 and they have recently launched in Thailand with deliveries set to start in Q1 2023. In Thailand, the Tesla Model 3 is priced from THB1,759,000 (about RM228,321) for the base rear-wheel-drive version and up to THB2,309,000 (about RM299,712) for the performance all-wheel-drive version. Meanwhile, the Telsa Model Y SUV is priced from THB1,959,000 (about RM254,282) for the rear-wheel drive model and THB2,509,000 (about RM325,672) for the performance all-wheel drive version.
If Tesla does set up shop and roll out an extensive supercharger network in Malaysia, owners can look forward to a seamless drive between Singapore and Thailand with minimal range anxiety. In addition, those who are interested in getting a Tesla would get greater peace of mind with an official warranty and support.
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