Tesla could be preparing to bring its range of electric cars to Malaysia; at least this the case as stated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on his blog. The Prime Minister visited Tesla headquarters after attending the two-day US-ASEAN Summit.
Najib remarked that Tesla has agreed to promote its products in Malaysia, and will be preparing to sell at least 100 Model S sedans in the country. This could potentially make Malaysia the first country in ASEAN to receive Tesla vehicles, although the company has yet to make an official statement on the matter.
When Tesla will get around to shipping cars to this side of the world is a massive question. The company barely keeps up with demand for its vehicles in the US, and customers often wait months before being allowed to take their purchase home. It could be a conceivably longer wait for Malaysians looking to pick up their first Tesla car. Although those that want a more affordable truly electric vehicle could potentially look into other car brands; like the Nissan Leaf.
On the other hand, selling Tesla vehicles in this country would require an entirely new infrastructure. Electric charging stations would need to be constructed across the country, or else the cars would have a limited range. Whether this promotion would include Tesla constructing its supercharger station in Malaysia is also unknown.
That being said, Tesla vehicles are generally priced as luxury cars; which would put them out of the price range of most Malaysians. It would be helpful if the government could pre-empt the inevitable proliferation of electric vehicles with tax breaks on them. It’s happened before with hybrids, and therefore not completely out of the question.
[Source: Najib Razak Blog]
