Tesla Aims for December Launch in Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Tesla Motors, Inc is looking to launch in Thailand this month after boosting its hiring efforts in the kingdom.

 

The automaker, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, faces stiff competition from Chinese players already present in the electric vehicle (EV) market, such as Great Wall Motors with its Ora Good Cat subcompact EV and Hozon Auto with its Neta V electric sports utility vehicle.

 

Since September of this year, Tesla has had 20 open posts based in Bangkok, with positions including a home-charging developer, charging infrastructure lead, technicians and customer service reps.

 

The company’s push into Thailand also comes after it was forced to cancel plans for expansion into India amid tariff disputes and efforts to downsize 10% of its staff due to looming recession concerns.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG221206132328569

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-12-05

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

[KhunBENQ]

Can hardly wait. So excited ????

[Buffy Frobisher]

Can't wait to miss it. ????

[happysoul]

Do you get bonus points (above the 12 planed) if you buy a Tesla ? 

 

(give me the same feeling that I posted in the license thread :))

[Bassosa]

Would be lovely to see more Tesla's and even more other EV's on Thailand's roads.

The pollution coming from ICE vehicles is significant. Having a layer of diesel dust on your car every morning gets old quickly. I live in central Chiang Mai.

[ukrules]

I saw some dude getting into one as I was leaving Market Village, Hua Hin one day last week.

 

I guess he must have imported it ahead of the launch.

[Liverpool Lou]

18 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I saw some dude getting into one as I was leaving Market Village, Hua Hin one day last week.

 

I guess he must have imported it ahead of the launch.

There's plenty of them around, 75 on One2Car, new and used.  Most come from Hong Kong.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[vangrop]

too expensive for Somchai

[Puccini]

What we need now is a dense net of fast-charging EV chargers. I thought PTT was getting into that business, but other than one news article some months ago I have read nothing more about it. Recently, I read that the electricity company had some plans, but the information was rather vague.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

At the garage :

 

Sawasdee khrab khun Somchai,can you service and/or charge electric cars?

 

Khun Somchai : Alay Waa?

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, Puccini said:

What we need now is a dense net of fast-charging EV chargers. I thought PTT was getting into that business, but other than one news article some months ago I have read nothing more about it. Recently, I read that the electricity company had some plans, but the information was rather vague.

Standby. Thailand is due to be a hub… and I hope it happens. Those Tesla’s go like stink, beating most off the lights, which is probably not altogether a good idea come to think of it. 

[Phnom Penh Trader]

16 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Standby. Thailand is due to be a hub… and I hope it happens. Those Tesla’s go like stink, beating most off the lights, which is probably not altogether a good idea come to think of it. 

In a country where minivans and tuk tuks are lethal EVs will make Mad Max look like Peppa Pig!

[decca60]

electric vehicle ...............hummmmm there will be lots of power pole attraction .......

[JBChiangRai]

They look to be overpriced here.

 

EV's made in China attract 0% duty imported to Thailand, so it should only be marginally more than the cost in China, base model 3 about 1.3M baht.  I suspect it will be considerably more.

[clokwise]

I was a fan of Tesla up until Elon recently went off the rails. Now I can't wait to see him, and Tesla, fail. Teslas certainly have some impressive technology, but their assembly process is still pretty shabby, with endless complaints online about panel gaps etc.

 

Regardless, the Chinese are gearing up to not only destroy Tesla, but also the Korean and Japanese automakers, in nearly all non-US markets. Chinese cars have made tremendous strides in the past 10 years, from literal death traps, to world-class EVs. Toyota and Mazda are still stuck in the past with petrol and hybrid cars that almost no one will want in just a few short years.

 

If I could drive off the lot in a new Ora Cat today, I'd have bought one already. But since it's still a 4~6 month wait, I'll just sit tight and see what 2023 delivers. There definitely won't ever be a new Tesla in my driveway though.

 

[novacova]

9 minutes ago, clokwise said:

I was a fan of Tesla up until Elon recently went off the rails. Now I can't wait to see him, and Tesla, fail.

Good, I’m thrilled it’s annoying those as such ???????????? it brings me such joy????????????

[Sir Dude]

EVs will just be another symbol of the divide between the haves and the have-nots here in Thailand. Yes, the government will/should promote them and a % of well-off folks will buy them for the face prestige factor, but places like Thailand are not going significantly electric, when it comes to vehicles, for a long time.

EVs are simply currently prohibitively expensive for the great majority of people and the ICE transport option isn't going away anytime soon from Thailand and its peers... most Thais simple have no chance of affording it, plus there are endless decent ICE second-hand vehicles lining every road for sale.

Even getting Somchai to give up his ridiculous loud ICE motorbike will be hard enough and a good alternative to that would be a better start. As for the transport and road freight industry, EVs are going to struggle for a while... hydrogen trucks/lorries would be better for long distance, electric for short. 

I'm not against going in the direction of EVs but there are plenty of problems in reality, including even things like there simply isn't enough lithium on the planet, so alternatives will have to be found for batteries etc.

[josephbloggs]

5 hours ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

At the garage :

 

Sawasdee khrab khun Somchai,can you service and/or charge electric cars?

 

Khun Somchai : Alay Waa?

Hilarious, absolutely hilarious.

[JonnyF]

Loads already on the streets of Bangkok. They are the latest fashion it seems.

 

I suspect they will be overpriced by huge import taxes, to allow sub par Chinese models to sell. Got to look after the new bosses.

[Srikcir]

"stiff competition"?

Tesla Model 3 is a full size luxury sedan. 

Model Y sport utility vehicle.

BYD Song is a compact crossover utility vehicle. 

Same for Neta V.

Ora Good Cat is a subcompact.

So it's like a Mercedes-Benz AMG vs. Toyota Corolla - different auto markets.

 

In China for September 2022 regardless of price/platform design and only in terms of deliveries, Tesla Model Y ranked #1 and Model 3 ranked #6. 

https://insideevs.com

 

The good news for Thais is that Chinese luxury EVs are ramping up in China and forcing Tesla to reduce prices 5-9%: Model 3 reduced to about $37,000 and Model Y to about $40,000. 

[josephbloggs]

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Loads already on the streets of Bangkok. They are the latest fashion it seems.

 

I suspect they will be overpriced by huge import taxes, to allow sub par Chinese models to sell. Got to look after the new bosses.

What is sub par about them exactly?

[Srikcir]

14 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

EVs are simply currently prohibitively expensive for the great majority of people 

Check the Wuling Mini Cabrio less than $15,000; the QQ Ice Cream hatchback at $4,300. 

China GPD per capita vs Thailand (2021)*: $12,600 vs $7,200

China Debt per capita vs Thailand (2021)*: $7,200 vs $4,200.

* rounded

[digger70]

14 hours ago, Bassosa said:

Would be lovely to see more Tesla's and even more other EV's on Thailand's roads.

The pollution coming from ICE vehicles is significant. Having a layer of diesel dust on your car every morning gets old quickly. I live in central Chiang Mai.

You believe in Clean electricity? Think again ,where it's coming from.

[Liverpool Lou]

10 hours ago, vangrop said:

too expensive for Somchai

Anything is too expensive for some Somchais, but not all of them, there are plenty of Teslas in Thailand.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, clokwise said:

I was a fan of Tesla up until Elon recently went off the rails.

How has he "gone off the rails"?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I suspect they will be overpriced by huge import taxes, to allow sub par Chinese models to sell.

What makes you say that comparable Chinese-made EVs are "sub par"?  Anything empirical?

[BritScot]

3 hours ago, clokwise said:

I was a fan of Tesla up until Elon recently went off the rails. Now I can't wait to see him, and Tesla, fail. Teslas certainly have some impressive technology, but their assembly process is still pretty shabby, with endless complaints online about panel gaps etc.

 

Regardless, the Chinese are gearing up to not only destroy Tesla, but also the Korean and Japanese automakers, in nearly all non-US markets. Chinese cars have made tremendous strides in the past 10 years, from literal death traps, to world-class EVs. Toyota and Mazda are still stuck in the past with petrol and hybrid cars that almost no one will want in just a few short years.

 

If I could drive off the lot in a new Ora Cat today, I'd have bought one already. But since it's still a 4~6 month wait, I'll just sit tight and see what 2023 delivers. There definitely won't ever be a new Tesla in my driveway though.

 

I'm the opposit I wasn't  a big fan but recently I'm a huge fan "bringing back free speech" I do not like the blood cars. However his are far better than the competition.  EV on the road in Thailand on mass watch the death toll rise dramatically.  The batteries make them so heavy they cut through other cars like butter. (Deaths involving electric cars isn't talked about.. shhhhhh!)

[JonnyF]

10 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What makes you say that comparable Chinese-made EVs are "sub par"?  Anything empirical?

Performance wise they are sub par.

 

Tesla Model 3 0-60 3.1 seconds.

 

Good Cat Ora around 9 seconds.

 

 

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

What is sub par about them exactly?

Sub par performance for starters.

 

Ethically, supporting the CCP is sub par behaviour as well.

[KhunLA]

51 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Sub par performance for starters.

 

Ethically, supporting the CCP is sub par behaviour as well.

I'm betting you do also, with many of the products you own now.