The number of Tesla cars on the road in Australia has increased dramatically in recent months, a sign that one of the world’s most reluctant developed countries to adopt electric cars is finally changing.
Last year’s supply chain bottlenecks extended the wait for a new Tesla to nine months and raised the price of used Model 3s to AU$130,000 (US$87,000), seemingly over. .
A new top range 3 . sample According to Tesla’s website, the performance ordered today in Sydney for AU$90,300 could arrive within a week. The same goes for the US, the company’s home market.
Also read: Volkswagen aims to follow Tesla’s path in the electric vehicle industry
Some degree of sobriety is also returning to the Australian second-hand market. In August, lucky owners of rarely used Model 3s can sell them to impatient buyers for between AU$130,000 and AU$138,000 – a third more than the price of one. new.
Today, there are dozens of used Model 3s listed on Australian carsales.com. Some of them are only a year old and are actually on sale — brace yourself — for less than the price of a new model. According to the website, not a single used Model 3 in Greater Sydney costs more than AU$100,000.
Improved supply is helping turn around a long-slow market for electric cars. Australia’s previous government has downplayed the power and range of trams for political gain — former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated that trams will “end the weekend” because they can’t tow boats or rickshaw. other countries for new models.
Australia’s current Labor Authority, which took over last year, has introduced tax exemptions for new electric vehicles. The government is also looking at fuel economy standards so that it could remove the most polluting vehicles from the road and make way for electric vehicles.
Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry, a group representing the Australian auto industry, said: “Supply is improving, although some issues remain. to Australia and increase demand, he said.
A year ago, when the supply chain was hit by a Covid-19 lockdown in China that brought car shipments to a halt, electric vehicles accounted for less than 1% of new car sales in Australia. Last month, the figure was 6.8%.
It’s way behind leading adopters like Norway, where four out of five new cars sold are zero-emissions vehicles. But the percentage of electric vehicles in Australia only seems to go in one direction. Teslas that were once a rarity on the streets are now commonplace. The Model 3 is the country’s third best-selling car – electric or not – behind only the traditional best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota. HiLux pickup truck.
First published date: March 27, 2023, 5:03 PM IST
