Tesla Will Play Catch-up in Asia

It’s been announced that Tesla cars are being launched in Thailand. Once the darling of the electric vehicle world, the company has faced a lot of scrutiny back in the US lately because of quality concerns about its vehicles and the car’s self-driving capabilities. 

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced the cars had “full Self-Driving” capabilities. But Tesla cars using autopilot technology have been involved in 273 reported accidents since June 2022.   

Maybe they feel that launching the brand in a new market will give them a fresh start. But if they’re planning to conquer the Asian market, they’re getting off to a slow start. Tesla needs to iron out its problems before tackling Asia’s highly competitive markets. 

Stiff Competition

Tesla will be wading into an already crowded market in Asia when they enter Thailand. China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, India and Vietnam all have established EV companies. Three of the worldwide market leaders for EVs are based in Asia. BYD Auto and SAIC of China, and Nissan, the Japanese makers of the popular LEAF, are all well-established automakers and exporters of quality EVs.

With the Tesla name taking a beating to its reputation during the past few years in its home country, Tesla is now taking on the arduous task of competing far from its home base of the US.  

If Thailand starts to install EV charging stations and infrastructure in response to the famous Tesla entering the Thai auto market, it’s a good start. However, Thai auto buyers don’t have to look far to find some worthy competition that may outclass Tesla in quality and estimated driving range. Our advice is to check out the variety and quality of the Asian EVs on the market and not be overly impressed with the Tesla name.