Tesla to make debut at upcoming motor show
TESLA, THE exotic American electric car brand, has formally set up an official importer and distributor in Thailand.
Navamol Thitiworathat, president and CEO of Tesla Automotive, said the newly formed company is a joint venture between Thai and US investors.
With an investment of Bt5 billion, the company will start importing and offering the Tesla Model S, which will make its Thai debut at the Thailand International Motor Expo next month.
Deliveries of the Model S will start early next year, although retail pricing has not been finalised. The Model S could be priced from Bt5 million to Bt7 million, she said.
The company’s head office and after-sales centre is located on Narathiwat-Ratchanakarin Road and will be fully operational at the end of this year. Tesla plans to set up superchargers for its electric vehicles at 120 fuel stations around the country by March next year to serve customers free of charge, Navimol said. A 20minute charge can provide 80-percent battery capacity.
The two Model S cars, namely 85D and P90D, have a claimed operating range of 480 kilometers from a single charge (8 hours from a house socket).
Tesla also plans to sell its cars in other Asean markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
