Tesla Singapore is set to have a car servicing centre at Toa Payoh next month.
The American electric car maker will soon operate out of a space formerly occupied by Tan Chong Motor’s Nissan dealership, according to The Straits Times.
Its Model 3 car is expected to be displayed there. The only Tesla model available for sale in Singapore is the Model 3 compact. The standard range series costs S$116,364 before certificate of entitlement (COE).
The company is said to have appointed Frenchman Christopher Bousigues as country manager here. He is currently under stay-home-notice due to Covid-19 precautionary measures.
According to the electric car giant’s job portal, it is currently hiring for five roles in Singapore. These roles include a supply chain manager, advisors, analysts, as well as temporary delivery assistants.
Service centres
Tesla’s service centres provide fixing to its cars, including minor dents, scuffs, and scratches. The firm told CNBC early this year that these centres can also provide various forms of in-house collision repairs. This may include suspension and axle damage, wheels, and glass repairs.
Tesla has about 140 service centres at its home ground in North America, and it plans to open more, including 46 in the first half of this year.
Currently, its US customers can select the services from the Tesla app. It is not confirmed if the procedure will be the same in Singapore.
A check on sgcarmart.com showed two companies that currently specialise in Tesla services – Hong Seh Motors and Autostrasse. The services include repair and servicing.
Charging points
The group had in January put up a teaser on its website on its first supercharger in Singapore. As of June, the target opening date has yet to be confirmed. Tesla states on its site that the timing and location are subject to change.
A supercharger is a 480-volt direct current fast charger that can power up a car as quickly as 30 minutes. Normal chargers typically take several hours for a full charge.
Tesla said that its vehicles are compatible with both Type 2 AC and CCS2 DC fast-charging stations which have been deployed by third-party vendors like SP Group and Shell-Greenlots.
Singapore’s 2040 plans
Singapore has set out a goal to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, and it’s making big bets on electrification to cut greenhouse gases and slow climate change.
Right now, only 3 per cent out of 600,000 private vehicles run on lower-emission hybrid engines and the government has announced a short-term rebate to encourage more drivers to make the switch.
New electric car drivers can qualify for an early adopter rebate on the vehicle’s Additional Registration Fee, capped at $20,000. The rebate will expire at the end of this year.
According to the Land Transport Authority, this rebate is expected to lower the cost of an electric car by 11 per cent on average, bringing the pricing of those cars closer to petrol cars.
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Featured Image Credit: AFP
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