Tesla has begun delivering Model Ys to customers in Japan, Tesla Japan announced on Twitter. In June, Tesla opened up Model Y ordering for Australia and Japan. In Japan, the Model Y RWD starts at ¥6,190,000 ($46,156.97), and the Model Y Dual Motor AWD Performance costs ¥8,090,000 ($60,324.70). Tesla estimated that the delivery date was from August to September.
テスラ モデルY納車開始㊗️
多くのテスラスタッフやオーナーの皆様に見送られながら日本の公道へ走り出しました。 pic.twitter.com/gBAiZO6tQh— Tesla Japan (@teslamotorsjp) September 9, 2022
On Reddit, u/willmistrot shared more photos of Tesla employees preparing for customers to take delivery of their Model Ys. The Reddit user added that they counted a total of 13 Model Ys being prepared for delivery at the Tesla Service Center in Toyonaka, Japan.
TeslaNorth noted that Tesla’s first delivery center in Japan opened in Ariake in November 2021. There, only the Model 3 was available in the nation. Earlier this year, the Japan Times reported that new registrations of imported EVs in Japan more than doubled in 2021, adding that the Japanese market has been pretty tough for Tesla.
Japan’s lack of charging infrastructure, parking space, and subsidies were highlighted as key reasons for the country’s reluctance to embrace EVs. However, Tesla’s price cuts for Model 3 last year helped to increase demand.
Daniel Read, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Japan pointed out that one additional reason for Japan’s slowness in embracing EVs is due to the automakers failing to promote EVs as a viable option for the public.
“In contrast to EV advertising in the EU, China, and the US, there is very little promotion of EVs in Japan,” he told Energy Tracker Asia in May.
Tesla’s presence in Japan isn’t only focusing on EVs but also includes energy. Last month, Tesla Japan shared a blog post about its virtual power plant (VPP) in Miyakojima.
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