Tesla's early adopters fighting for R15,000 deposits after indefinite launch delay

Jan

Jan

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Big questions over Tesla's South African launch and R15,000 deposits

Electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla once seemed serious about a launch in South Africa. It even took interested buyers' money for a spot in the line to be among the first owners of the Model 3.

However, the company has been quiet on any tangible local launch plans in the past eight years, aside from three brief remarks by its CEO, Elon Musk, on Twitter/X.
 
I never thought these vehicles would look right in darkest Africa and I'd be probably right in saying it will be overpriced to hell and back if launched here. Spares would likely be a challenge lest there be a dealer network. Not sure if Elon has the appetite for that. Probably not.

Noteworthy it's only the Chinese that have been later entrants to SA, along with the odd Indian marque. Seems communist schitholes and other 3rd world dumps are in soort soek soort mode.
 
FiestaST said:
Brand not likely for SA in many many many many years times.
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I think it’s the high import costs. Here in the UK every 3rd or 5th car you see is an EV.

I hired one for a couple of days once we got here. Wasn’t a great experience due to the hire company supplying an inadequate charger. But have since bought a 2016 Leon For now. Don’t think I’ll buy an EV for a couple of years.
 
Priapus said:
I think it’s the high import costs. Here in the UK every 3rd or 5th car you see is an EV.

I hired one for a couple of days once we got here. Wasn’t a great experience due to the hire company supplying an inadequate charger. But have since bought a 2016 Leon For now. Don’t think I’ll buy an EV for a couple of years.
Click to expand...
Yup, exactly hence my comment, things wont change in the short to medium term wrt that.

Prob a smart move not to go balls deep on an EV yet, that '16 Leon sounds like a lekker cabbie.
 
FiestaST said:
Yup, exactly hence my comment, things wont change in the short to medium term wrt that.

Prob a smart move not to go balls deep on an EV yet, that '16 Leon sounds like a lekker cabbie.
Click to expand...

It’s a good car. Single owner. Very clean. Paid R170k for it.

Car market here is something else.
 
Patience people. Patience. Don't be negative. Everyone who put down a R15,000 deposit will eventually get their Tesla 3 at R7,500,000. It will be a great car!
 
South Africa is a market for cheap Chinese products, not quality products. Government happy to penalize anyone wanting something quality. Its a pity.
 
Isn't there also a luxury tax which applies to Teslas and also most EVs but not your affordable cars?
 
neoprema said:
South Africa is a market for cheap Chinese products, not quality products. Government happy to penalize anyone wanting something quality. Its a pity.
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This has been a problem long, long before the ANC came into power. Even the old government had cars manufactured locally, they had to be shipped out and then back into the country where import duties were then paid and cars sold locally. It was a huge income driver for the government back then and even today still.
 
Electricity is too expensive for EVs to be practical in SA. You need a dramatically different pricing model that has cheap night-time electricity to get some serious uptake.

And even then, I think given SA's infrastructure and size, I think plug in hybrids will be the way things go here for a long time.
 
I'm more surprised with the relatively poor take-up/up-take with this thread.

Normally anything Elon & everyone & their dog has an 8-bit opinion.

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