From curious to placing a Model 3 reservation for South Africa!

[Sunlight]

I got interested in Tesla in about 2012 when the MS started its first deliveries - thru some small article on the BBC website. Of course the South African/Elon connection was a hook too.

I went quickly from 'curious' to 'obsessed' and trawled the Tesla websites like an addict............Soon all ICE cars were 'boring' and I soon decided that my next car would be an EV - preferably a Tesla but as they had no plans (then) to go into Africa, I was resigned to getting something else. Living where we do, we need min 200 mile range to make it workable so a Leaf 2; proper i3; Bolt seemed on the cards in a few years.

Even considered importing a MS from the UK but that was infeasible with no back-up and import duties etc.

In the meantime I bought shares in Tesla and have watched the rollercoaster ride with fascination - in for the long haul so the fluctuations don't bother me. Hell I wish I'd had spare cash when they hit $143 recently; I just knew but......

So joy was unconfined when I read that the Model 3 was coming to South Africa - albeit in about 2020! (time to save....). So today I gleefully plonked down my reservation and the email confirmation has just arrived. I'm on board and no longer just a voyeur.

May still get an MS as it is a bit better suited to our needs if Tesla will support it here.........

Anyone else on these forums who has placed a South African order? Would love to start a SA Tesla community to ease the l-o-n-g wait. By the way where can you put a geographical marker of where you have ordered - I saw a map once somewhere with a request to mark orders.

Thanks and I'm happy to join you all officially - what a club!

 

[deonb]

I'm a South African that placed an order. Does that count?

The site where you can put your marker is:
Model3Tracker.info


South Africa is such an ideal market for SuperChargers - you only need like 6 of them. I also hope Tesla will figure out that all they need to do is to get the Casinos to put up HPWC's and you cover 90% of travel .

 

[Sunlight]

Thanks, deonb, but you don't qualify! South African order - not order by an ex(?) SAfrican..........

Registered for the Model3 Tracker - are the orders automatically added or do we have to do them manually?

You're right about the SuperChargers - 5-6 up the N1; 10-12 up the N2; 4-5 down the N3; 3 up the N7 and you've covered 95% of all SA trips.

Apparently public chargers are going in at various places in the main cities and car dealers (well Nissan and BMW) now. SA is developing a massive green power infrastructure due to the problems with the central elec provider - fastest growth of green power worldwide I read...

 

[deonb]

Still a current South African. Not even dual passport - I'm just South African . But yeah, I don't live there.

You have to add the dot manually to the Model3 tracker.

Why 4 or 5 down the N3? You basically only need Harrismith. Or at most Warden & Howick.


I've seen about the green power infrastructure. My dad shamed me from over there by putting up Solar before me. Impressive.

If Tesla allowed people to draw power from the Model S battery during a power outage, and sold cars over there during the load shedding years, South Africa would have easily been the second or third biggest market for Tesla. Missed opportunity.

 

[Sunlight]

Yup - could get away with far fewer but one has to plan for those who don't! Shouldn't be a stretch between each charger.

We have solar but it has been a nightmare as we can't get anyone familiar with US Outback equip to help us here on the Garden Route - currently the inverters have kicked out so we are back on Eskom.

Can't wait until the M3 to get it sorted but the EV will be run off solar for sure...............

 

[Jeff4155]

Also a South African, just trolling the the Tesla website for the past 2 years, decided to join the minute I heard it's coming to our shoreline, would love to see all of Tesla's vehicles driving up and down our streets, but my concern is how much will our government Tax us on these vehicles from space? I'm guessing we won't have any Tax incentives as the rest of the US? and will it still come in at the same price as a 3 series BMW or will the M3 end up costing the equivalent of a BMW M3?

 

[Sunlight]

Welcome Jeff (where ya?!). I think the SA Gov has quite good 'green credentials' (fired up by the Eskom dramas) so they may now start to encourage EVs once the ice is broken. Especially as I now read that SA may end up with TOO much power generation in the future!! Go figure....

Sadly BMW and Nissan went into the sale of Leaves and i3s rather half-cocked which hasn't helped the cause - no wonder Tesla has such credibility in comparison. And Elon MAY be able to bend the authorities' ears especially if Tesla were to build out SCs. And if Tesla go ahead with rumoured Gigafactory involvement.

We do have a very well developed vehicle manufacturing base here - I think all RHD BMW 3-series worldwide are made in SA - so Tesla could look at the options - certainly be cheaper to build here than many countries.

And as many articles now say that EVs will be cheaper than ICE cars by 2025 and the 'tipping point' will be upon us, it would be a good call by the SA Gov to get in NOW - batteries and car assembly.

Jeff - I trust/hope you have put in your M3 reservation as well! It is refundable, nogal, if push comes to shove..........I may flip my reservation over to the Model Y as well anyway. Y? Because it will be a hatchback..........

 

[deonb]

Unless Telsa manufactures in South Africa, which I doubt, Import duties and ad volurum will probably end up being around 43%, which would set the base price of the car at $50'000. (R750'000).

So it will be higher than a 340i, but not quite an M3. Though the moment you add any options it will be M3 territory.

 

[Sunlight]

OK the first blue dot in South Africa has now appeared on the world map Model 3 tracker...............

Hope to be joined by many more - or I won't be able to do the 'Tesla Nod' with anyone.

 

[Jeff4155]

I try not to be negative and do hope tesla can push this through bringing down the price, but looking at our Rand Dollar exchange rate and our politics I can't see the model 3 being in the 3 series bracket, but lets hope Elon can be the next Gupta and work his magic with the parties that be

back to the topic, were and how will they be selling the vehicles, not to mention services?
My guess will be Durbs, Cape Town and Joburg will be the first to get show rooms, of course buying will be easy if you have the cash for it, but the service station will be another topic all together, this will be very interesting to watch over the coming months/years

 

[Sunlight]

Just noticed that another South African reservation has been added to the Tracker Map..........Gauteng.

Is that you Jeff4155?

If not who is it?

 

[Jeff4155]

unfortunately not, I don't mind waiting and seeing what the final product would look like before jumping on the Tesla train. I live in the Western Cape and I would need a bit more than 320km of travel to make it worth my while, perfect if I did live in the city, though

 

[Jeff4155]

Just noticed there are 3 reservations up on the tracker site and one of them is in my small town of Knysna, don't think it would even be worth it getting our reservation in right now, sins I am sure there will be an allocated amount of them floating around when the time comes that you want to purchase, so would prefer keeping my $1000 in a savings account till the time comes that they do ship to SA

 

[Sunlight]

Jeff it is me, Sunlight, in Knysna! Well we actually live on a farm out of town so the range issue is a factor for us too (or we may have temporarily settled for a Leaf/i3............)

Maybe we could meet up for coffee and an EV chat sometime? 082 878 4619
Cheers

 

[deonb]

unfortunately not, I don't mind waiting and seeing what the final product would look like before jumping on the Tesla train. I live in the Western Cape and I would need a bit more than 320km of travel to make it worth my while, perfect if I did live in the city, though

You have a 320km commute?? Or just live in an area where you don't expect Superchargers?

 

[Sunlight]

deonb - if I may answer for us in Knysna! We often do 300-ish km round trips if we need to go to Plett; Oudtshoorn; Mossel Bay etc.

It will be a long time before there are even slow chargers in these little towns to top up!

Also I drive to Cape Town fairly often (nearly 600kms) and would be willing to stop at either a SC on the way (if Tesla put one on the N2 in a suitable place!) or stop overnight at friends once on the way to top up - so 300km hops.

All this dictates 320kms range as a useful figure and if 150kms would work for us, we'd have 'considered' a Leaf/i3 for now - no way Jose...

 

[Jeff4155]

Correct neighbour Sunlight hope to see your M3 around town.
I do travel a lot between those exact towns and stopping at a clients house asking to plug in would be unprofessional, so I look at it as getting there and back in one go, but once the superchargers are up in a few of the small towns I am sure it would be worth it, for say the other 3 days I am in the office it will most definitely be worth it. another question I have is how would you claim kms from the company? probably KW Rate per KM? interesting days that lie ahead

 

[ROBwithab]

Thanks, deonb, but you don't qualify! South African order - not order by an ex(?) SAfrican..........

Registered for the Model3 Tracker - are the orders automatically added or do we have to do them manually?

You're right about the SuperChargers - 5-6 up the N1; 10-12 up the N2; 4-5 down the N3; 3 up the N7 and you've covered 95% of all SA trips.

Apparently public chargers are going in at various places in the main cities and car dealers (well Nissan and BMW) now. SA is developing a massive green power infrastructure due to the problems with the central elec provider - fastest growth of green power worldwide I read...

The N4 is a pretty busy route too. Gauteng to Kruger Park etc. One supercharger at the Alzu stop should cover it all the way, then destination chargers at resorts.

 

[ROBwithab]

I got interested in Tesla in about 2012 when the MS started its first deliveries - thru some small article on the BBC website. Of course the South African/Elon connection was a hook too.

I went quickly from 'curious' to 'obsessed' and trawled the Tesla websites like an addict............Soon all ICE cars were 'boring' and I soon decided that my next car would be an EV - preferably a Tesla but as they had no plans (then) to go into Africa, I was resigned to getting something else. Living where we do, we need min 200 mile range to make it workable so a Leaf 2; proper i3; Bolt seemed on the cards in a few years.

Even considered importing a MS from the UK but that was infeasible with no back-up and import duties etc.

In the meantime I bought shares in Tesla and have watched the rollercoaster ride with fascination - in for the long haul so the fluctuations don't bother me. Hell I wish I'd had spare cash when they hit $143 recently; I just knew but......

So joy was unconfined when I read that the Model 3 was coming to South Africa - albeit in about 2020! (time to save....). So today I gleefully plonked down my reservation and the email confirmation has just arrived. I'm on board and no longer just a voyeur.

May still get an MS as it is a bit better suited to our needs if Tesla will support it here.........

Anyone else on these forums who has placed a South African order? Would love to start a SA Tesla community to ease the l-o-n-g wait. By the way where can you put a geographical marker of where you have ordered - I saw a map once somewhere with a request to mark orders.

Thanks and I'm happy to join you all officially - what a club!

I'm in Nelspruit. Been following the Tesla tale slightly too obsessively since I first read about the "skateboard" idea in a Popular Mechanics article (I think) in about 2010, and the penny dropped.
Also invested in some TSLA stock in the meantime. Got lucky to have an opportunity to buy the Feb dip.
Was pleasantly surprised to see that last-minute tweet about the new markets. Watched the presentation first thing when I got to the office on the 1st, went to the website and saw South Africa on the drop-down list. What else could I do?
Haven't added my blip to the map yet...

 

[ROBwithab]

I'm Rob. From Nelspruit.
Been waiting for this car for about 20 years...