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Tesla certified by South Korean government to enter local car market
Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles will soon hit the South Korean market as early as May, following an approval issued by the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport division. The nod to Tesla for certification is part of a larger South Korean government framework to create an eco-friendly car market, with goals to elevate air quality standards to western European levels within a decade.
Tesla will unveil both sales and Tesla service centers when it officially opens its doors inside South Korea’s largest shopping mall and at the famed Gangnam district, equivalent to the Rodeo drive of Seoul. Service centers will provide core maintenance functions and house charging stations. Any necessary exterior repairs to Teslas there will be handled by certified subcontractors.
Korea’s domestic hybrid and electric market sold a total of 68,774 cars last year, compared to 41,956 in 2015. This was the highest proportional rise worldwide, according to The Korea Herald. In December, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced plans that it would increase the number of traditional gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in electric hybrids, pure electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell cars to 20 percent of all its national sales by the year 2020.
Much competition awaits Tesla in the South Korean EV market. Hyundai’s EV catalog there includes the Grandeur, Sonata, and Ionic brands as well as the Kia Niro. And the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport that completed Tesla’s registration is currently reviewing Chinese EV carmaker BYD’s application to enter the South Korean market, with expected approval next week.
Never to be daunted, Tesla will reveal its brand in a spectacular, four-story mall complex about six miles east of Seoul, at Starfield Hanam. Set in an idyllic location, beside an expansive lake and a sweeping mountainous backdrop, the recently opened Starfield Hanam atmosphere combines cultural, leisure, and entertainment facilities. The mall is close to nearby tourist hot-spots, connected to Seoul’s major freeway system, and is adjacent to the subway network. “South Korea’s first ‘shopping theme park’ is a new business model for the country, integrating the brick and mortar shopping experience with E-Mart distribution,” said Yong-Jin Chung, vice chairman of Shinsegae Group. “We carefully curated the selection of stores and services to benefit our customers and satisfy their diverse needs.”
South Korea will be Tesla’s fifth market in Asia after China, Hong Kong, Japan, and most recently Taiwan. Asia serves as a significant mechanism to establish the Tesla global brand. On-the-ground planning began last June, 2016, when Tesla’s website listed four new positions for sales and engineering in South Korea and one recruiter for the country, with base in Japan.
Seoul offers Tesla access to a population in the primary trade area of 3.5 million, a further 9.4 million in the secondary trade area, and a total of 25.6 million in greater Seoul. Last April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed confidence that the South Korean market will help Tesla to expand its customer base, especially with the introduction of the new lower-priced Model 3 sedan.
Elon Musk
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.
The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.
Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.
Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.
The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.
Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.
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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.
The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.
Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.
Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout
X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month.
The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.
As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform.
The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.
Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.
Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.
“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.
To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
