Hours after Tesla officially opened up booking for its Model Y SUV, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the EV company will be opening up its Malaysian headquarters in Selangor. This was shortly after Anwar had a virtual meeting with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
The Prime Minister stated that the government supports the opening of the automotive firm’s HQ, service centre, and experience centre in Selangor this year. Neither he nor Musk have specified any details regarding these centres, but given that the brand’s official launch in the Malaysian market is set to be held next week, we can expect to find out more soon.
On 20 July, Tesla will launch its “masterplan” for Malaysia and showcase how EVs can help create a sustainable future. On that note, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz revealed in April that the company will be installing at least 50 Superchargers in Malaysia by 2026, with 30% being accessible to other EV brands. Just yesterday, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that the state is ready to host Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Additionally, Anwar discussed the participation of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in the country, saying that it can contribute to expanding the reach of the internet in rural areas. Earlier this year, SpaceX stated on its website that Starlink would be available in Malaysia in Q2 2023, with the company already accepting a US$9 (~RM41) deposit.
While Q2 has come and gone, the service has yet to debut here with a lack of any updates from the firm. However, the acknowledgement by the Prime Minister could be a hint that it will be launching soon.
(Source: Anwar Ibrahim)
