Tesla chose the exclusive Parque Arauco shopping centre in Santiago to open its first store in the country at the end of January.
As Mobility Portal Latinoamérica reported, the point of sale in the shopping centre serves as a showroom where customers can place orders online.
There, they display the two models that Elon Musk bet on in Chile: the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Model 3 available in Chile has a single motor and is priced at $39.9 million Chilean pesos, while the dual-motor Model Y costs $44.9 million Chilean pesos.
According to its website, Elon Musk’s company plans to “import, export, manufacture, market, distribute, and sell” electric vehicles in Latin America, but there are not many details yet about this expansion.
However, some industry leaders expressed their views on Musk’s offer upon its arrival.
This time, it’s the turn of the National Automotive Association of Chile A.G (ANAC).
In an exclusive video for Mobility Portal Latin America, its Secretary General, Diego Mendoza, highlights the growth of offerings in the automotive market over the last 30 years.
“Recently, Tesla joined, which shows that our country is eager to compete, to offer products – in this case, electric ones – so that they can compete, be compared, and so that the buyer can choose the model that benefits them the most,” explains Mendoza.
What do competitors think?
Some brands or dealerships consulted on the matter preferred not to comment on their competition.
Meanwhile, John Novoa, Manager of Hyundai Trucks & Buses Chile Division, acknowledges that this is an extremely important milestone in the country, fundamentally due to the commitment to carbon neutrality.
“Being the only country in the region in which Tesla has decided to actively participate speaks to the commitment and direction that the Chilean market has towards electromobility,” says Novoa.
He adds: “It is good for the market in general and will bring the electric product closer to users, both individuals and companies.”
For his part, Patricio Concha, Manager of Marketing and Corporate Sales at Voltera, admits: “Competition is good for the market and benefits consumers, allowing for the accelerated adoption of electromobility.”
“Today, Chinese vehicles – with brands like Maple, Farizon, and Dongfeng that we represent as Voltera – lead electric vehicle sales in the country, given the quality, technology, and ultra-competitive prices of their products,” argues Concha.
And he concludes: “In our trips to China, we see that the technological development of brands from that country is at the forefront of electromobility.”
Surely, in a few days, the extent of Tesla’s first sales in Chile will be known, and its competitiveness in the market can be analyzed with statistics.
