Tesla will officially launch in Malaysia later this month. On Monday the automaker created a new Tesla Malaysia Instagram account, with the first post being an image of a Model 3 with the caption of “Stay tuned.” More details came after invitations were sent out to local media and enthusiasts in the country, revealing the official launch will take place on July 20, 2023.
As with other international launches, residents of Malaysia will finally be able to order a Model 3 or Model Y on that date, with the vehicles originating from nearby Giga Shanghai. Pricing is unknown at this point but local media suggest they will be priced at between RM260,000 to RM350,000 (~C$74,000 to C$99,500).
While Tesla’s expansion into Malaysia is not a surprise, the timing of it is. Tesla was approved to import and sell its electric vehicles in Malaysia, but that approval from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) only came in March. As part of that approval Tesla will also build out a Supercharger network and establish service facilities across the country.
After receiving approval Tesla worked quickly to begin hiring, publishing multiple job postings less than a month later over five categories, including engineering, IT, operations, and sales, all of which were located in the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Tesla also held a walk-in recruitment day which saw thousands of job seekers turn up for a chance to work with the Texas-based automaker.
