Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) has officially launched its all-electric Model S sedan in Australia. The Palo Alto-based company delivered the “signature” Model S to the first nine Australian customers on Tuesday. Tesla started taking pre-orders for its sedan in late May, 2014. The company said that deliveries to other customers will begin tomorrow.
Tesla opens Superchargers at two locations
The Elon Musk-led company will open doors to its first Australian showroom and service center in St Leonards, Sydney on Wednesday, Dec.10. Tesla will open another store and service center in Melbourne by the end of 2015. Moreover, the company opened five Superchargers at its new showroom in Sydney. Another five superchargers have been inaugurated at The Star Casino in Pyrmont.
Tesla strategically chose glitzy The Star as launch venue. Five of the ten superchargers will be in the parking lot of the casino. Tesla customers will be able to access the casino’s carpark and charge their sedan for free. Model S arrived in Australia about two years after its U.S. launch. Last year, the company announced the development of right-hand drive Model S.
Tesla’s Model S sedan offers 502 kilometers of range. The company claims that customers can charge their Model S using its Supercharger from zero to 50% in less than 20 minutes. Tesla didn’t share how many pre-orders it has received in Australia, but there seem to be a large number of enthusiastic buyers patiently waiting for their turn.
Tesla’s Superchargers to connect all major Australian cities by 2016
The EV maker said its Supercharger network would connect Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra by next year. By the end of 2016, it will connect all major cities along the East Coast of Australia. The company will install Superchargers in the pre-determined travel corridors at 200km from each other, allowing customers to travel long distances without worrying about charging the car.
Tesla shares fell 2.55% to $208.90 in pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock has declined more than 24% in the last three months.
