Electric car company Tesla has delivered the keys to the first Model S cars in Asia to their eight new owners at a flashy ceremony at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal last Wednesday. At the ceremony the cars, the “world’s first premium electric sedan[s]” according to Tesla, were dramatically unveiled as the curtains hiding them dropped to the ground simultaneously.
Depending on how souped up you want your new electric car to be, the price of a brand-new Model S costs between HKD $579,000 and $761,800. There are two battery options, a 60 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery or an 85 kWh one, which allows the Model S to go 390 km and 502 km respectively on a single charge. The most expensive option, the “85 kWh performance”, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 210 km/h.
Alex Fong, now a proud owner of a Tesla S, says: “After seeing Tesla’s technology online, I found it was really hi-tech, so I inquired and placed an order immediately.” We too get seduced by companies touting technologies of the future, but we’re not sure we’ve ever dropped three quarters of a million dollars on an impulse buy.
Jerome Guillen, Tesla’s VP of Worldwide Sales and Service, also announced the launch of two Superchargers in Hong Kong, the city’s first. These free electric car charging stations can replenish half of a Tesla battery’s charge in 20 minutes, while 30 minutes of charging allows a 85 kWh battery car to drive for 274 km.
The superchargers are located at Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai and at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Tesla cars can also recharge from a regular electrical socket at home.
In Hong Kong, electric vehicles are waived from the hefty First Registration Tax, which is imposed on all new cars, adding further incentive to geeky, early-adopting car owners who want a piece of automobile history while helping to save the planet. The waiver means that new owners save an eye-widening amount, between $463,350 and $673,570 depending on which Model S you get.
Photo: Tesla Motors website
