Well, it won't be showing up in showrooms yet, if that’s what you are thinking.
Greentech Malaysia is leading the charge in bringing in 120 Tesla Model S as demonstrator units to be leased to government-linked companies and agencies to try out and assess over a 24-month period.
Tesla overturns the traditional way of buying a car. You can order a Tesla Model S (seen here) online.
Its CEO, Ahmad Hadri Haris, said on May 14 that it hopes to settle the paperwork and approval processes for tax exemptions and Approved Permits within two months before ordering the Model S, which has the size and premium refinements to make it the only executive electric sedan to come here at the moment.
“The Vehicle Type Approvals with the Road Transport Department has been done and certificates issued, ” he said, adding that buying the electric car was a simple process of ordering it from the Tesla website.
It is expected to buy the all-wheel drive and rear wheel drive variants with auto pilot and air suspension options included. The range for the all-wheel drive 70D is 386km while the rear-wheel drive 85 has a 427km range. This means driving from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is well within the ability of both cars.
Top speed for both variants is capped at 225kph but they differ in output and 0-100kph sprint times, with the 70D producing 329hp/5.2s and the 85 362hp/5.4s.
The monthly lease would be around RM6,000, inclusive of servicing and maintenance, said Ahmad Hadri, whose organisation, placed under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water, was set up to develop and promote green technology.
Depending on variants and options specified, each Model S unit could be priced up to US$90,000 excluding taxes. If the Tesla cars eventually hit Malaysian roads, it would make the country the first in South-East Asia to deploy them for government use.
Ahmad Hadri pointed out that the purchase of the Teslas would be privately funded and that Greentech would handle the leasing and maintenance of the electric cars.
After the trial period, Greentech hopes to attract Tesla Motors and other EV-related suppliers to set up shop in the country.
The battery pack in the Model S is laid out on the floor.
“Globally, electric mobility is a booming industry. In Asean, it is a nascent industry with a relatively level playing field and as such Malaysia has a golden opportunity to become an industry leader and a hub for EV innovation. This is why it is vital for all stakeholders including government bodies and private organisations to collaborate and align our various policies and initiatives to help realise the potential of EVs,” said Ahmad Hadri.
Ahmad Hadri
Global sales of EVs reached 175,000 units in 2014, a 54% increase from 2013’s numbers. These figures indicate that EVs have out-paced hybrids in terms of customer demand, with 25 times more EV purchases in Europe during the first 14 months of its introduction as compared to the sales of hybrids during the first 14 months of its debut.
Two days earlier, Renault and BMW, which are involved in car electrification, spoke at a government-held panel discussion and re-affirmed the need for incentives as one of the key criteria for the EV industry to move forward.
“Any country that wants to create a fertile environment for the rollout of electric vehicles must make available incentives and exemptions to offset the financial cost of adoption,” said Renault’s Electric Vehicle Global Program director Eric Feunteun.
“Government incentives are particularly critical for EVs before momentum kicks in through word of mouth and broader social acceptance.”
BMW Group Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Alan Harris proposed that the Malaysian government look at implementing incentives for imported EVs for up to five years to create public demand for EVs as well as to enable automakers to build capabilities and expertise for greater commitment to set up manufacturing or local assembly.” While its i3 electric car is not sold here, BMW is already selling its i8 plug-in hybrid at RM1.19mil.
Feunteun
Greentech was in tune with Harris and said more could be done to encourage consumers to switch to EVs, suggesting the government offers income tax rebate of say RM50,000 for three years, a standard annual road tax of RM50 for EVs or allocate special lanes for such cars. This is assuming the charging infrastructure is ready and easily accessible to start with.
Taking the overall view, GreenTech chairman Tan Sri Peter Chin said: “The wide-scale adoption of EVs would spur an entire sub-industry value chain including technology, innovation, recycling mechanisms, maintenance and service. This would generate new avenues of business and create more job opportunities.”
The push for EVs will not threaten the local vendor network or undermine the National Automotive Policy as the technology is different and there are in fact opportunities for the vendors to venture into new businesses, said Ahmad Hadri, adding that no single player can build an ecosystem that requires the input of partners with different expertise.
Delegates at the May 12 session trying out the Twizy.
As the lithium-ion battery pack forms the major component of an electric car, its usability extends beyond the car. The environmental impact of lithium-ion batteries is also different from that of conventional lead acid batteries, said Ahmad Hadri.
“A car’s Li-ion battery pack can typically lasts 8 to 10 years. After that, it can continue to be used in a house or office for 15 years to power appliances and devices, which have lower energy demands,” he said, following which the battery could be recycled with only 15% of it ending up in a landfill.
Eighty international and local industry leaders took part in the day-long event here on May 12 called Charge Up 1.0 (with more to come as the numbering suggests). Delegates also had the chance to test-drive the Renault Zoe, Renault Twizy, Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric cars.
Present were officials from the finance and transport ministries, banks, Pemandu, Proton, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Toyota, BYD Auto, CMS Consortium, Prasarana Integrated Development and Tenaga Nasional.
Greentech will certainly agree with Nvidia chief executive officer Jen-Hsun Huang, who was once quoted as saying “the car is dying to be re-invented."
Greentech said it welcomes non-car players such as Google and Alibaba into the automotive fold, as they bring exciting innovations and alter the dynamics of a traditionally staid business.
Even Apple is strongly rumoured to be gearing up for a shot at auto, with indications it wants to build its own electric car. It does say something promising about the future of personal mobility.
