Tesla to officially launch in Malaysia on 20 July

Tesla will be making its official debut in Malaysia later this month. The confirmation came less than four months after its imminent arrival into our market was revealed by the government.

The official unveiling will be taking place in Kuala Lumpur on 20 July according to the official invite which we have just received. Tesla Malaysia’s official Instagram page is already up as well even though the Malaysian section of its official website is not yet online.

At this moment, it is unclear which model the EV company will bring to Malaysia for the launch. However, it seemed somewhat likely that Tesla will be releasing the Model Y and Model 3 into our market just like in Singapore and Thailand.

Naturally, there is also a question of price. In Singapore, the Model Y can be obtained with a starting price of SGD87,990 (~RM303,657) while the Model 3 starts from SGD75,990 (~RM262,244).

Over in Thailand, the Model Y goes from THB1,959,000 (~RM259,643) as opposed to the Model 3 which starts at THB1,759,000 (~RM233,000). Given these prices, it might be safe to assume that Tesla will price its EVs in Malaysia within the price range of between RM260,000 to RM350,000.

Tesla recently announced that it has achieved a quarterly record high EV production with 479,700 units produced in Q2 2023. Over 95% or 460,211 units are from the Model 3 and Model Y.

As spotted on SIRIM, it appears that the Tesla units for Malaysia will be equipped with radar equipment. This would complement its existing optical cameras used for autopilot and self-driving features.

Meanwhile, the timing of this revelation is rather apt since it came right after Transport Minister, Anthony Loke announced that his ministry has proposed a new formula that will make road tax for EVs cheaper than petrol and diesel vehicles. At the moment, road tax for EVs is exempted until the end of 2025 alongside the import and excise duties for all fully imported EVs.

The minister has also revealed that the government is planning to introduce special registration number plates for EVs starting with EV1 very soon. Loke said clear identification of EVs is important so that Fire and Rescue Department can take the necessary precautions and procedures to handle EV-related fires in the event of an accident.

Another key highlight of Tesla coming to Malaysia is its SuperCharger network. As part of Malaysia’s requirement to Tesla, they will need to install at least 50 SuperChargers within the next three years and at least 30% of them must be made accessible to other EV brands.

Related reading

• Tesla Malaysia: What EV models are coming and how much will they cost?
• Here’s the situation at Tesla Malaysia’s walk-in recruitment day at Cyberjaya 
• SIRIM reveals Tesla Model 3 and Y for Malaysia could come with Radar for advanced safety features
• Tengku Zafrul: Tesla required to install 50 Superchargers in Malaysia by 2026, at least 15 open to all EVs