American electric vehicle giant Tesla is now gearing up to dominate the EV market in Malaysia in early July.
Tesla Malaysia officially announced via a digital poster teaser that EV sales would commence this week, effectively raising the anticipation of EV and Tesla enthusiasts in the country.
Tesla to launch an “unveiling event” in late July
Tesla Malaysia’s announcement ultimately revealed its plans to officially begin car sales on Friday, July 7, 2023.
More interestingly, local reports claim that the automaker will have an “unveiling event” in Kuala Lumpur on July 20 to show off the EVs it will offer in the domestic market.
It would be unsurprising if the Musk-led automaker would initially bring the famous Model 3 and Model Y to the domestic market. Reports also anticipate Giga Shanghai to manage the production of the units for the Malaysian market.
For reference, Tesla China offers two Model 3 variants, including the RMB 231,900 rear-wheel drive (RWD) and the RMB 331,900 Dual Motor AWD. Meanwhile, the Model Y has three variants: the RMB 263,900 RWD, RMB 313,900 Long Range AWD, and RMB 363,900 Performance variant.
In a further development, Tesla also announced plans to set up the necessary infrastructure to support its domestic operation in the Malaysian EV market.
“Tesla will establish a Head Office, Tesla Experience & Services Centers [sic], and Supercharger network, simultaneously creating skilled & better-paying jobs for M’sians.”
Malaysia’s MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz
Why Malaysia?
The government of Malaysia has actively shown commitment to promoting the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. In 2021, the government announced plans to exempt EVs from import, excise, and road taxes.
Furthermore, Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) allowed Tesla to import its battery-powered cars in February 2023. This government support will arguably drive the growth of the EV market in the country, especially now that Tesla is about to bring its EVs there.
Remarkably, Tesla’s expansion in Malaysia will not only boost the country’s EV ecosystem. It will also generate multiple job opportunities for Malaysian citizens. In fact, the local arm has already started its recruitment operations with its “Walk-in Recruitment Day” in Cyberjaya. Open positions include the following:
- Sales Advisor
- Enterprise Sales Advisor
- Delivery Advisor
- Customer Support Specialist
- Service Advisor
Apart from these, Tesla Malaysia has also posted job openings for Office Administrator, Senior HR Partner, and Vehicle Technician positions in Kuala Lumpur recently.
See Also:
- Tesla to penetrate the Malaysian auto market with its EVs, Supercharger Network, and Service Centers
- Tesla partners with Oneida Indian Nation for its first Upstate New York sales showroom
- Ford EVs to have access to Tesla Superchargers in 2024
- Tesla Supercharging network expands by 33% YoY in Q1 2023
- China’s BYD Auto overtakes Tesla as top-selling EV brand globally
Tesla’s presence in Malaysia will certainly boost the domestic EV industry. Likewise, the automaker can substantially raise its sales and delivery performance in the next quarters by adding this new market.
