Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Relocating to UK - take Tesla with??

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
We can do it for you
But here is the problem and for anyone who is thinking of moving their cars from HK to UK.
1. The shipping price is stupidly expensive due to Covid. it is around 3-4 times more than the usual price. Unless you are super loaded then please wait til it is back to normal price. I wish I can tell you when. may be a month may be 2 . You can PM me and I can talk about it via whatsapp
2. for any cars post late 2018. It is extremely difficult to change region from HK to UK. Not saying it is impossible but very hard. If you got 2020.48 it will take a while for us to do it.
 
Hi. May I know does that mean your warranty is lost after shipped to UK? Appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Hi there
I can confirm the warranty is lost when moved to the uk. We imported two years ago and we were told by Tesla uk over the phone that there should be no issue but the warranty in uk is a Europe zone and they won’t change this.
 
I am reading through the posts and trying to summarise everything.

If you only change the SIM on board but not the firmware to UK setting, you will get:

I then change the SIM to a local carrier O2 monthly plan, rebooted the MCU and I have data for Spotify streaming, MCU Google map and traffic info. I can access the car via the app.

I even got a software update a few days later after I connected the car to my home’s wifi.
This update still had the HK region restrictions, i.e. no web browser and calendar.

What I don’t have:
Turn by turn Nav, cause the car still have the HK Map data.
Auto pilot see the UK speed signs as KPH, even with the unit set to MPH, it will translate it from KPH, eg when it see a UK 50 sign, the Instrument Cluster will show 31 MPH.
This should affect the autopilot cursing function as the car will drive or cruse at the wrong speed.

Spotify still can play with the Tesla account but will play HK locale playlists.

And if you change the firmware to UK version with help from third party, you get:

Now the speed data is read with a MPH base. This will enable correct autopilot function.
It also now have the turn by turn UK nav.
Also the car nor have the web browser and calendar app.

However the Spotify won’t work.
It keeps on loading and even say the Tesla account is invalid. I then tried with my own premium ac, which can be logged in, but I still can’t stream any songs.
All other data works, so it’s not the wifi is SIM card.
It’s either the app (region locked?) or connection with Spotify server, but it was streaming when it was in HK region setting.

I think Rowfam has the MCU replaced in UK, not sure how it was charged (money, not electricity here) though

I have just had the MCU replaced in the car and Tesla moved all the HK data across rather than update with UK. We have battled with them for 2 years to update to UK and you would think with a new MCU they would have just updated the region - 100% would not budge.
 
I have few more questions on this topic, will PM electricboat as well, but if anyone can share here, more of us will get to know more easily

1) Will the free unlimited supercharging still be there if you have it in HK?​
I know you most likely charge at home, but I am thinking of road trips to Europe. It is good to have the free supercharging as we enjoy in HK. This is something I have been looking forward to since I read those posts by American members yearssss ago​

Below are questions specific to post UK firmware update with third party ("UK conversion"):

2) If Spotify doesn't work, is there any other music streaming app inside the firmware that we can use? Or will it be just radio or USB?​
3) Can the mobile phone app still connect to the car?​
4) What happen to future firmware updates (to UK version but not HK version)? Will it be OTA or requires physically uploading to the car ourselves or via the third party?​
5) And if I am planning for road trips to Europe, is there any restriction on the choice of SIM card?​
6) Do the map and navigation still work in Europe (outside UK)?​
7) For Model S and X, we don't have CCS, we need adapters +/- conversion as well. Does anyone know if we (Model S / X) can use v3 supercharger or CCS in UK / Europe?​
8) Does the autopilot (1.0, 2.0 etc) work in UK?​
9) Do we get live traffic info in UK if we have it in HK?​
10) I think they have restricted summon in UK (we have NO summon in HK), will the UK conversion enable that as well?​
And I believe quite a few of us are thinking to take our Tesla to UK, we all love our own particular car's build quality or we would have been driving another car long ago, that's why some of us just don't want to sell and rebuy. If anyone can share your story in shipping car there, it will be nice (e.g. how long it takes, where to get the car back in UK etc). And I know it's a different world pre and post the pandemic and it varies with shipper, but I would be grateful if you let me peek into "the future" for my own planning
 
  • Like
Reactions: icemankaka
I have few more questions on this topic, will PM electricboat as well, but if anyone can share here, more of us will get to know more easily

1) Will the free unlimited supercharging still be there if you have it in HK?​
I know you most likely charge at home, but I am thinking of road trips to Europe. It is good to have the free supercharging as we enjoy in HK. This is something I have been looking forward to since I read those posts by American members yearssss ago​
If you already have it, then yes. Charged it for a few times already

Below are questions specific to post UK firmware update with third party ("UK conversion"):

2) If Spotify doesn't work, is there any other music streaming app inside the firmware that we can use? Or will it be just radio or USB?​
I've tried getting DAB radio channels whilst I've given data (either by tether or car sim).
Spotify is a wee bit of a bummer but I have apple music too so if I download my music to the phone (which I do) it's not actually so bad - or you can use your data to get music off streaming service.

3) Can the mobile phone app still connect to the car?​
Yes, but it acts up a bit - not sure if that's cuz the sim card isn't running properly still

4) What happen to future firmware updates (to UK version but not HK version)? Will it be OTA or requires physically uploading to the car ourselves or via the third party?​
I've had it updated OTA (on wifi) w no problems

5) And if I am planning for road trips to Europe, is there any restriction on the choice of SIM card?​
This will more depend on breshit negotiations/agreements :)

6) Do the map and navigation still work in Europe (outside UK)?​
7) For Model S and X, we don't have CCS, we need adapters +/- conversion as well. Does anyone know if we (Model S / X) can use v3 supercharger or CCS in UK / Europe?​
I think you can do a conversion first before moving the car to the UK?

8) Does the autopilot (1.0, 2.0 etc) work in UK?​
I have all the functionality of 1.0 (i think). Tried using summon, but it kept disconnecting except for the one time it managed to move 10cm.

9) Do we get live traffic info in UK if we have it in HK?​
I see traffic info - but I've had it converted to UK Region now (so it reads MPH but have no spotify)

10) I think they have restricted summon in UK (we have NO summon in HK), will the UK conversion enable that as well?​
Pls see Q8

And I believe quite a few of us are thinking to take our Tesla to UK, we all love our own particular car's build quality or we would have been driving another car long ago, that's why some of us just don't want to sell and rebuy. If anyone can share your story in shipping car there, it will be nice (e.g. how long it takes, where to get the car back in UK etc). And I know it's a different world pre and post the pandemic and it varies with shipper, but I would be grateful if you let me peek into "the future" for my own planning
I agree, many people told me i should just sell and buy again - but my car is kept in much better condition than many UK cars hence I do not want to sell and buy a car that I would lose a few functionality + in worse condition.
 
Last edited:
Yes, but it acts up a bit - not sure if that's cuz the sim card isn't running properly still

Is that related to waking up of the car? i read from other websites that the Tesla server only communicates with the original SIM to wake up any particular Tesla

I've had it updated OTA (on wifi) w no problems

So you can get a UK version firmware update OTA? that would be great. my worry was any OTA update bring us back to HK version firmware...

I think you can do a conversion first before moving the car to the UK?

Yes, i am considering this, i reduce using public transport during the pandemic, so i need the car like everyday now. since there are enough non V3 superchargers in HK, will only send my car in if the conversion works in UK as well

I have all the functionality of 1.0 (i think). Tried using summon, but it kept disconnecting except for the one time it managed to move 10cm.
one small step for UK tesla, one giant leap for HK model S
 
Hello gents.
We have helped many car owners to relocate Tesla from Hong Kong to UK and Europe. Here is a few things.
1. Your SIm won't work, you will require to buy a local sim and swap it with the UK sim and update the APN. Sometimes it will work without updating.
2. Your Navigation will not work, you will need to either figure some ways to get Tesla to change the car into UK specs (But they won't do it at the moment)
3. SC and everything works just fine. Autopilot may works with internet access.
4. The charge port is exactly the same as HK and we have so far moved around 12 cars MS and MX and without any trouble.
If you have any more questions feel free to PM me. It is actually not so hard to import a Tesla to UK but you have to find someone who know what they are doing.
Hi, did you move any Model 3 from Hong Kong to UK?
 
Is that related to waking up of the car? i read from other websites that the Tesla server only communicates with the original SIM to wake up any particular Tesla



So you can get a UK version firmware update OTA? that would be great. my worry was any OTA update bring us back to HK version firmware...



Yes, i am considering this, i reduce using public transport during the pandemic, so i need the car like everyday now. since there are enough non V3 superchargers in HK, will only send my car in if the conversion works in UK as well


one small step for UK tesla, one giant leap for HK model S
sim- cant use spotify anyways and ive always listened to the same bbc that is now available on FM and DAB here so other than traffic data i dont really need built in mobile data. i can either keep paying for the sim in car or just stream from my mobile - but for the latter i will lose the internet when im not in the car. Won’t kill me but its a bit inconvinient ar times.

what do u mean conversion doesnt work in the uk?! it will be the same ccs charger!?!
 
what do u mean conversion doesnt work in the uk?! it will be the same ccs charger!?!

the CCS should work in any third party CCS charging station

i read from a website many years ago that Tesla supercharger would do a software "handshake" before starting charging, just wondering if they would block me if I got all the conversion and modification done in HK

have to reschedule my activity to bring the car in for 1 day or two for conversion, was hoping to be sure it will work as intended so that the trouble of rescheduling is worthy
 
We can do it for you
But here is the problem and for anyone who is thinking of moving their cars from HK to UK.
1. The shipping price is stupidly expensive due to Covid. it is around 3-4 times more than the usual price. Unless you are super loaded then please wait til it is back to normal price. I wish I can tell you when. may be a month may be 2 . You can PM me and I can talk about it via whatsapp
2. for any cars post late 2018. It is extremely difficult to change region from HK to UK. Not saying it is impossible but very hard. If you got 2020.48 it will take a while for us to do it.
Hi Gents, I'm looking at purchasing a Japanese spec model 90D, but would need to find a way to convert the maps to New Zealand version - is that something that you might be able to help me with?. Sorry I would have PM'd you but as a new member that function is not available yet. Car firmware version is V10.2 (2020.48.12.1).
 
Hi Gents, I'm looking at purchasing a Japanese spec model 90D, but would need to find a way to convert the maps to New Zealand version - is that something that you might be able to help me with?. Sorry I would have PM'd you but as a new member that function is not available yet. Car firmware version is V10.2 (2020.48.12.1).
If member Electricboat happens to see this - please PM me (I can't send messages yet) - would be much appreciated, thanks!