Tesla is poised to launch a premier Thai flagship store, strategically situated in an eastern Bangkok mall, as early as June.
This move is geared towards fueling the company’s rapidly growing electric vehicle market in Thailand and effectively competing with Chinese competitors such as BYD.
The American car manufacturer is refurbishing a location previously occupied by a Toyota Motor showroom, as reported by local media outlets.
The multi-level facility will not only host a showroom but also include a service center, a parts repository, and high-speed charging stations.
Upon being contacted for further information, a representative from Tesla indicated that more details will be released in due course.
Tesla initiated the online sales of its Model Y midsize SUV and its Model 3 sedan in Thailand the past December.
The starting prices are approximately 1.96 million baht and 1.76 million baht ($56,500 and $50,700) respectively, which are higher than the competing Chinese models priced around 1 million baht.
Kenichi Shimomura, a principal at Roland Berger, commented, “Tesla sees Thailand as a test track for accelerating its expansion in Southeast Asia.”
According to Autolife Thailand, Model Y sales in March were about double compared to the previous month, reaching 1,034 units, which provided the model with a 17% share of EV sales in Thailand.
The Model Y has now become the second most sold electric vehicle in the country, trailing behind BYD’s Atto 3, and surpassing earlier offerings from China’s SAIC Motor group and Great Wall Motor.
Test drives for Tesla vehicles are already offered at a dealership in close proximity to the upcoming flagship outlet.
A Bangkok resident named Max, an engineer who currently owns a couple of cars including a Toyota Camry, expressed his thoughts about potentially substituting one of his vehicles with a Model Y.
He stated, “I had decided that my first EV would be a Tesla.”
