Tesla has officially entered the South American market, opening its first retail location and launching sales of the Model 3 and Model Y this week in Chile.
Tesla has been laying the groundwork for their launch in South America for quite a while. Last year the company registered the name Tesla Chile SpA, with the registration in Chile encompassing not only car sales but also activities related to energy generation and electricity. In another clear indication of their expansion plans into South America, Tesla has been actively recruiting for various positions in Santiago, including a country manager, over the past few months.
All of this work came to a head this week, with Tesla opening their first store in an upscale mall in Chile’s capital city of Santiago on Wednesday, with Stephen Spanzier, Global New Markets at Tesla calling it the company’s “most exciting/significant international expansion milestones.”
As Tesla is well known to do, they threw quite the party for the opening, with several vehicles on display, including the upgraded Model 3.
Tesla Chile! Tesla first location in South America. pic.twitter.com/818bzHKNko
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) February 1, 2024
After the dust settled from the party, Tesla also launched the online Design Studio in Chile, allowing customers to order the new Model 3 or Model Y.
According to the online configurator, the Model 3 RWD starts at $39,900,000, or around C$57,100, while the Long Range (LR) variant starts at $44,900,000, or around C$64,200.
Meanwhile, the Rear-Wheel Drive, LR, and Performance variants of the Model Y are available for $42,900,00 (C$61,300), $47,900,000 (C$68,500), or $52,900,000 (C$75,700) respectively.
Customers placing their orders today will have to wait a few months to receive their new cars as the first deliveries are not estimated to start until April or May 2024.
Model 3 & Y configurator now live in Chile! 🇨🇱
— Tesla Americas (@tesla_americas) February 1, 2024
Come by our kiosk in Santiago or order via https://t.co/lPLyHXYMhO pic.twitter.com/9oTRgTSiba
