Tesla expands to Taiwan starting with a store in Taipei

Earlier today, we were discussing how Tesla could increase its global deliveries with upcoming expansions to new markets. We mentioned Mexico, South Korea, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, but Taiwan went right under our radar. Electrek readers pointed out that Tesla is just now entering the country with orders for the Model S starting this week.

The automaker is opening a ‘pop-up store’ this week in the upscale Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Xinyi District of Taipei, the nation’s capital city.

The company will later open a full-scale store with a service center. We found a job listing on Tesla’s website for the store manager, which indicates that Tesla will be offering both its vehicles and its Tesla Energy products in the market. The company currently lists half a dozen other positions in Taiwan.

The automaker opened the Model S’s online design studio in the country over the weekend. The Model S is offered starting at a significant premium over the price in the US. The 60 kWh battery configuration is starting at 3 million New Taiwan Dollar ($93,000 USD vs $66,000 in the US) and it goes up to 5 million New Taiwan Dollar ($155,000 USD vs $109,500 in the US) for the Model S P90D.

Tesla adjusts the cost of its vehicles internationally according to the exchange rate and then include the country’s import fees, tax, and registration.

While Tesla is only now starting to sell its vehicles in Taiwan, the company has a long history in the country where it is sourcing several parts in its supply chain for its vehicles.