Still no Tesla sold in SA. Elon Musk explains why…
Ever hoped to drive a Tesla in South Africa, you may have to settle on other Electric Vehicles as CEO Elon Musk is not importing to SA anytime soon
South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, has revealed why his electric vehicles will not be sold in South Africa any time soon.
Social media user Ziyaad Mohammed questioned Musk on his popular social media platform X (formally Twitter).
WHY TESLA IS NOT SOLD IN SOUTH AFRICA
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Mohomed asks,” When will Tesla vehicles be available in South Africa at a reasonable price?”
In his reply Musk, immediately dashed the hopes of any South African hoping to own the vehicle within the next few years.
“Import duties are super high in South Africa to protect the domestic industry,” says Musk,
“Doesn’t it make sense for Tesla, given that electric cars are not locally made?”
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA
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The high import taxes, have not, however, stopped other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedez and Volvo from introducing luxury electric vehicles to the local market.
Eight new cars are set to be launched this year and according to TechCentral, 27 EV’s are already on the market.
The GWM Ora Catisthe cheapest passenger EV on the market with a starting price of R686 950.
While for more luxury EV’s, the Volvo EX30 is on the market from R775 900 to R995 900. The most expensive EV on the market is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, with a selling price of R4,414million.