Tesla South Africa: When is Tesla coming to south africa?
South Africa takes pride in being home to Elon Musk, a renown American tycoon, who is setting standards in the car-making industry. He runs a company called Tesla, whose focus is incorporating the element of sustainable energy in the manufacture of cars. For the longest time, there have been speculations about the company setting grounds in the country. Would you like to know how far the journey of Tesla South Africa has come? If that is the case, you might want to read on to find out more details.
Source: UGC
Recently, Tesla made it to be the most valuable carmaker in the world after its stock overtook Japan's Toyota. The global electric vehicle manufacturer has, for the longest time, expressed its prospects to introduce these vehicles in South Africa. The journey of Tesla South Africa has been in line with the National Development plan 2030.
Tesla South Africa
As time progresses, the country has seen the need to transition to electric vehicles; hence, it has started taking care of factors that would support the transition. One of the recommendations that the representatives from Tesla have made is championing the need to decarbonise electricity.
The transition to electric vehicles will increase the electricity demand, hence the need to have smart tariff structure and metering and a positive impact on the off-peak use. The transition to electric vehicles will equally have a positive impact on the country's revenue if ESKOM will embrace the technology.
READ ALSO: Elon Musk Is Now the World's 5th Richest Man with $74 Billion
Tesla in South Africa
The landscape in South African urban centres is a factor that will stimulate the adoption and penetration of battery-electrical vehicles. The advantage that battery-electric vehicles have over internal combustion engine vehicles is that they have less movable parts. Therefore, they require lower maintenance.
The other factor that propelled the transition is the volatile currency exchanges and fuel prices in the country. The transition to battery-electric vehicles is going to save the road users as well as drivers from this issue.
The introduction of battery-electric vehicles is also going to change the business model in the country; especially for corporate companies, taxi owners, and households.
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Tesla South Africa 2020
Source: UGC
The most significant setback that is stopping the introduction of electric cars in the country is the issue of high tariffs. In 2019, Elon Musk responded to the matter stating:
would love to’ bring Tesla to the country but that ‘import duties are extremely high, even for electric vehicles
During a parliamentary Q&A session, the minister of Trade and Industry responded to the issue. He stated that the country does not subside the importation or the production of the vehicles. However, he indicated that the ministry was working on ways to change this.
READ ALSO: Tesla may soon recall over 3 000 Model X vehicles from China
Q&A
These are some of the questions whose answers will paint a better picture of the journey.
Is Tesla available in South Africa?
The vehicles are not yet available in the country. However, Elon Musk stated in 2019 that the Tesla dealership South Africa is looking forward to opening up any time. The models that will be available for the South African market include Tesla Model S - Sedan, Model X - SUV and Model 3 - Sedan.
How much does a Tesla cost in South Africa?
Source: UGC
Tesla Model 3 is among the models that the company will introduce in the country. Its price is estimated to be R500,000 before taxing.
How much is the cheapest Tesla?
Model 3, the newest model in the company's portfolio, is the cheapest Tesla so far. It has a base price of $37,990. However, before it was launched, it was presumed to go for $35,000.
Is Elon Musk a South African?
Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur who was born in Pretoria, South Africa.
If you were wondering about the future of Tesla South Africa and whether the company was going to give back to the country, these details must have fed your curiosity. The vehicle is going to have a significant impact on the country's transport sector. It is also going to positively impact the country's economy.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 causes Tesla stock to nosedive due to close of factories
Briefly.co.za reported four months ago that Tesla was among the companies that had been affected by the pandemic. The company's stocks went down by a significant margin.
The onset of the pandemic significantly impacted the car manufacturer. Tesla's Shanghai factory had to be shut for two weeks, causing a drop in the company's share price. The challenges came at a time when most companies were facing the global impact of the coronavirus.
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- Tesla delivered 88 400 cars in first quarter of 2020, beating forecast
- Elon Musk loses R11.3 billion: Threw a ball at bulletproof glass
Source: Briefly News
