Tesla officially enters Thailand – Model 3 and Y from RM220k; supercharger network from Feb 2023

Tesla has officially entered Thailand with the launch of the Model 3 and Model Y. There are three variants of the Model 3 available; the Rear-wheel drive variant priced from 1.7 million baht (RM220k), Long Range AWD from 1.9 million baht (RM250k) and Performance from 2.3 million baht (RM289k).

The Rear-wheel Drive variant features a rear-mounted electric motor that’s powered by a 57.5 kWh battery with an EV range of 559 km based on the NEDC cycle. The electric motor produces 347 PS and 420 Nm of torque for a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds while its top speed is rated at 225 km/h. The Rear-wheel Drive variant supports up to 7.6 kW AC charging and up to 250 kW DC fast charging.

Moving up the ladder, the Long Range AWD variant is driven by two electric motors (one each in the front and back). They’re powered by a larger 75 kWh battery with an electric range of up to 681 km based on the NEDC cycle. The more powerful variant produces 514 PS and 493 Nm for a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds, with top speed bumped up to 233 km/h. The Long Range AWD variant supports up to 11.5 kW AC charging and up to 250 kW DC charging.

Tesla officially enters Thailand – Model 3 and Y from RM220k; supercharger network from Feb 2023

At the top is the Performance variant which also features two electric motors for all-wheel drive capabilities. The electric motors also draw power from a 75 kWh battery that returns up to 608 km of range based on the NEDC cycle, and supports up to 11.5 kW AC charging and up to 250 kW DC fast charging. This being the Performance variant, 0-100 km/h take just 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 261 km/h.

The top Performance variant stands out with 20-inch alloy Uberturbine wheels, a Performance Brake system, a carbon fibre rear spoiler and aluminium pedals. Standard features include 18-inch wheels and a 15-inch touchscreen to access the vehicle’s various functions including the Tesla Autopilot.

Aside from the Model 3, the Model Y was also launched concurrently. Like the Model 3, it’s also available in three variant with the Rear Wheel Drive variant priced from 1.9 million baht (RM245k), the Long Range AWD from 2.2 million baht (RM283k) and the range-topping Performance variant from 2.5 million baht (RM314k).

The Rear-Wheel Drive variant gets a rear-mounted electric motor with an output of 347 PS and 420 Nm. It draws power from a 57.5 kWh lithium-ion battery with up to 510 km of electric range based on the NEDC cycle and supports up to 7.6 kW AC and 250 kW DC fast charging. The Rear-Wheel Drive gets from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 217 km/h.

As for the dual-motor Long Range and Performance variants, both are fitted with 75 kWh batteries and support up to 11.5 kW AC and up to 250 kW DC fast charging. As for output, the Long Range variant produces 514 PS while the Performance variant delivers 534 PS. Both variants produce 493 Nm of torque.

Tesla officially enters Thailand – Model 3 and Y from RM220k; supercharger network from Feb 2023
Tesla officially enters Thailand – Model 3 and Y from RM220k; supercharger network from Feb 2023

The Long Range variant gets from 0-100 km/h in five seconds with a top speed of 217 km/h while the Performance variant is quicker at 3.7 seconds, with a higher top speed of 250 km/h. True to its name, the Long Range version returns up to 623 km while the Performance offers up to 582 km of range.

At the launch, Tesla also revealed that it will open its first supercharger station by Q1 2023, with at least 10 more stations by 2023. It’s claimed that superchargers can juice up the car to return 275 km of range in just 15 minutes.

Here in Malaysia, Tesla isn’t officially represented. However, there are plenty of Tesla EVs brought in by parallel importers from the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. Now with EVs finally gaining some traction here, do you think Tesla should enter the Malaysian market and set up its own Supercharger network? Comment below!

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