Tesla started shipping the first batch of Model Y to clients in Japan. After months of waiting, the Japanese can now receive the vehicle that is expected to top the global sales charts.
Hundreds of Tesla Model Y vehicles landed in Japan on two ships at the end of August. Since the start of their mass production, this is the first shipment of cars to enter the nation.
Tesla Japan announced on September 9 that the first Model Ys had been delivered to customers, and a spectacular celebration was held in their honor.
It should be noted that orders for the Tesla Model Y have been accepted in Japan since early June. There are presently two models available, the Model Y RWD for ¥6,190,000 ($46,156) and Model Y Performance for ¥8,090,000 ($60,324), according to InsideEVs.
Meanwhile, Tesla only offers the Model Y Long Range AWD in China and Hong Kong and not yet in any other Asian or Oceanic markets.
Compared to the rest of the world, Tesla Model 3 sales in Japan is not outstanding, which may be caused by the country’s notable lack of charging infrastructure. Additionally, anti-EV marketing was apparently used in Japan by companies, including Toyota.
Despite that, the shift to electric vehicles is now increasingly being embraced in Japan. In retrospect, the government decided to allocate $300 million annually for subsidies and charging infrastructure just a few months ago. In addition, Tesla plans to open numerous new Supercharger outlets across the country.
Tesla originally intended to access the Japanese market sooner, but the plan had to be delayed because production at Giga Shanghai was halted in April owing to the COVID-19 lockdown.
