US Tesla in NZ?

[CharleyBC]

Greetings! My wife and I are looking at what to do with our 3-year-old Model 3 if we move to New Zealand. Is it reasonable to bring it with us?

Obviously, we’d have to live with the steering wheel being on the opposite side from the ideal in a right-hand-drive country. I saw a NZ website about importing used cars, which stressed things like frontal impact standards, which I assume Tesla passes easily. But what about other stuff?

• Can we use NZ Superchargers? I gather it’s a different plug. Is there an adapter? Can our car be refitted with the NZ-style plug?
• Will the navigation system work?
• Will the car be able to connect to the NZ cellular network?
• Will Autopilot and FSD be happy?
• And any other important questions I haven’t yet thought of…

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated, especially if you’ve actually done it.

Thanks!

 

[khayyam]

I can't imagine how it would possibly be worthwhile. So many headaches. Just sell it and buy a NZ new one.

 

[RobDickinson]

You wont be able to use the SC network or even the 3rd party one unless you have an adapter for ccs or chademo.

A company is looking to convert Japanese model 3 to NZ and I think they use the same charge port as USA so it could be possible, its not so cheap though.

Not sure on cellular afik USA uses different frequencies but no idea on how global the tesla part is, but it would need the sim etc changing, the company doing the conversion stuff above can do that.

Ap might work, FSD etc wont I think?


TBh I think you are crazy for even considering it. Sell the car before you come (US used prices are nuts) and buy a new one here

 

[Matt_NZ]

Legally you wouldn't be able to drive a LHD Model 3 in New Zealand. There are set conditions where you can but the Model 3 would not qualify for any of them.

From what I understand, the second hand Tesla market over in the states is crazy at the moment. Sell it over there are make bank and then buy a new one if you're moving to New Zealand

 

[moa999]

Definitely wouldn't recommend.

There are a few threads on the forum of HK-UK shipments (using the same RHD and plug connectors) and even they struggle with warranty and maps.

 

[CharleyBC]

You wont be able to use the SC network or even the 3rd party one unless you have an adapter for ccs or chademo.

A company is looking to convert Japanese model 3 to NZ and I think they use the same charge port as USA so it could be possible, its not so cheap though.

Not sure on cellular afik USA uses different frequencies but no idea on how global the tesla part is, but it would need the sim etc changing, the company doing the conversion stuff above can do that.

Ap might work, FSD etc wont I think?


TBh I think you are crazy for even considering it. Sell the car before you come (US used prices are nuts) and buy a new one here

It’d give me an excuse to get a Model Y instead.

 

[RobDickinson]

Probably a better car for nz anyhow! When do you come over?

 

[khayyam]

If they ever get around to releasing the MY here, that is...

 

[RobDickinson]

Next month...

 

[m3lol]

Two weeks

 

[FenC]

Legally you wouldn't be able to drive a LHD Model 3 in New Zealand. There are set conditions where you can but the Model 3 would not qualify for any of them.

From what I understand, the second hand Tesla market over in the states is crazy at the moment. Sell it over there are make bank and then buy a new one if you're moving to New Zealand

This is the only response that matters.

I don't claim to remember all the conditions by any means, but to be able to be registered as a LHD vehicle here it would need to be unavailable in RHD form (anywhere in the world), relatively low volume and interesting / collectible - basically they are trying to limit it to vehicles that are only available in LHD and will not be used as a daily driver - much like the US restriction on importing vehicles under 20 years old that were not available new.

There may be more, and I don't personally agree with the last two. I daily drove several LHD cars in the UK, and aside being a PITA at car park barriers etc. it was OK, and as a wheelchair user these days getting out kerbside could be pretty useful to me. Regardless the M3 fails on all of the above.

Edit:
Looking at your signature I see you have FSD. You'll lose that in your change-over of course, and we don't have the subscription option here (yet at least), but NZ is a tougher gig for FSD than the US. Depending where you plan to live your driving will be mostly to entirely on what you might now consider surface streets, and even the FSD v9 beta videos I've seen on YouTube show it's quite a way short of ready from prime-time here.

 

[RobDickinson]

Conversely I can do all but 3 junctions on my sumner to central city commute on the current fsd/autopilot.

Most long distance trips are easily able to be done just on AP.

He wont lose FSD he will get more for his car as sold and be able to option it here on whatever tesla he wants, or (by the time we have actual city street functionality) rent it.

 

[CharleyBC]

Probably a better car for nz anyhow! When do you come over?

Uncertain. A woman at INZ said it could be two years.

 

[FenC]

Conversely I can do all but 3 junctions on my sumner to central city commute on the current fsd/autopilot.

Most long distance trips are easily able to be done just on AP.

He wont lose FSD he will get more for his car as sold and be able to option it here on whatever tesla he wants, or (by the time we have actual city street functionality) rent it.

Maybe it does better than I would expect then, which is good to hear. much as I’d like to I won’t be trying it until (unless?) we get the subscription option in NZ.

 

[moa999]

Oh. And as for the HK-UK thread worth a read. There is one poster who seems to have a way of making maps work.

Relocating to UK - take Tesla with??

Hi, I am relocating to the UK from Hong Kong and would like to take my Tesla with me - does anyone have any experience of doing this? Questions I have are: Is a Hong Kong Tesla compatible with UK charging? Is the warranty valid or void? I have submitted an enquiry to Tesla via "My Tesla"...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[khayyam]

Tick, tock, tick, tock

Next month...

Two weeks

 

[RobDickinson]

Its still next month!