Tesla is preparing to begin marketing electric cars in Israel towards the second half of 2021 as part of its international efforts to expand its entry to new markets in Europe. Among other things, Tesla is hoping to head off competition from the rival electric cars of European and Japanese carmakers.
Tesla had originally planned to enter the Israeli market in the first quarter of 2020. But the move was delayed because of difficulties in obtaining an import license from the Ministry of Transport and then the disruption caused worldwide by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A source has informed "Globes" that Tesla has added to its legal team Adv. Ilan Shavit, who is considered the leading attorney dealing with car imports to Israel, in order to speed up arrangements for the receipt of an import license.
At the same time Tesla is preparing to connect up its Israeli branch to the company's online sales network. The company expects to soon complete the purchase of a service garage in central Israel and in recent weeks has been gathering information (RFI) about the various electric charging suppliers in Israel. This is prior to choosing a contractor that will set up a quick supercharger network for Tesla. In addition, the company is considering leasing an existing logistics park for an Israeli car importer that will serve as the spare parts center for Tesla. The company will also hire technical staff.
Marketing will start concurrently for the Tesla 3, Tesla S and Tesla X models, whose prototypes have already complied with Israeli standards. The new crossover Tesla Y, that recently began being marketed in the US will also be coming to Israel. The first Tesla Y will reach Israel at the start of 2021 in order to undergo testing to meet Israeli standards.
Tesla has yet to finally decide on prices for the Israeli market. According to the government classification the Tesla 3, which has a 440 kilometer range when fully charged, could cost between NIS 310,000 and NIS 322,000, but the price could be significantly lower.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 25, 2020
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