Tesla has announced that it has delivered its first Model 3 and Model Y in Thailand as it continues to expand its offerings in Asia.
With the incredible success of electric vehicles in China, Tesla has been on a mission to emulate its success in other Asian countries. This includes Japan, where the company has continually been growing its Supercharger Network, and Taiwan, where it has navigated politics by delivering vehicles from Germany.
Now, Tesla has delivered two of its most popular models to Thailand.
Tesla announced the first Thai deliveries on Twitter this morning.
First Model Y & Model 3 deliveries in Thailand 🇹🇠https://t.co/8XuvtAkFmg pic.twitter.com/1eUD2tNPhP
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 14, 2023
Orders for the Model 3 and Model Y opened in Thailand at the beginning of December last year, and the automaker was immediately inundated with thousands of orders. The vehicles were scheduled to begin deliveries in the first quarter of this year and will likely extend into Q2, thanks to the incredibly high demand.
Luckily, despite importing vehicles from Giga Shanghai, Thailand has imposed no import fees on the vehicles thanks to a free trade agreement between Bangkok and Beijing. Though, because the vehicles are not built in Thailand, Tesla customers are missing out on a potential EV subsidy from the Government.
With the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y being the company’s most popular models, it is poised to gain a new wave of demand in the Thai market.
Tesla actually has had a relatively small presence in Thailand for several years, but its vehicles have not been available to regular consumers for very long. In 2020, the Thailand National Police Agency added seven Tesla Model 3 Performance units to its fleet.
As the top EV maker continues its all-out growth strategy worldwide, it will likely face many of the same problems, especially if it plans to sell in 2nd or 3rd world countries. Nonetheless, by establishing its foothold in Thailand, Tesla is well on its way toward becoming a significant automaker in the region. Hopefully, with continued high demand for its vehicles, Tesla will be able to expand its service and charging offerings in countries outside its largest markets.
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