Tesla launches sales in Israel, starting at NIS 179,000
The American electric car maker said customers can now custom order its Model S, Model X and Model 3, with deliveries starting at the end of the first quarter.
By ZEV STUBThe interior of a Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle is shown in Moscow(photo credit: REUTERS)Tesla said Tuesday that it has officially opened for online sales in Israel.The highly-anticipated announcement came less than a month after the Transportation Ministry officially approved the American electric car maker for import into Israel.Customers can now custom order its Model S, Model X and Model 3 on the company's web site. Deliveries of its flagship Model 3 will start at the end of March, and the Model S and Model X will be delivered starting in the fourth quarter of 2021.The price of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus starts at NIS 179,213 including VAT.The company has opened a service center in Petah Tikva, it said. The Model 3 will also be displayed in Tel Aviv's Ramat Aviv Mall, where visitors will be able to take a test drive in the version of their choice after the current lockdown ends, the company said.Tesla will focus on sales to business customers who lease cars for their employees, in addition to private customers.During the first quarter, Tesla will open its first two fast-charging stations in Tel Aviv and Haifa, the company said, with additional stations to be opened around the country later. Tesla owners can also charge the car from a standard outlet or from a Tesla wall connector, which provides up to 70 kilometers per charging hour.Teslas are known to be environmentally friendly, with zero emissions, and feature unique technologies like Tesla’s flagship autopilot system that offers lane centering, traffic-aware cruise control, self-parking, automatic lane changes, semi-autonomous navigation, and the ability to summon the car from a parking spot.Tesla said its Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which can go 448 km on a single electric charge, will cost NIS 179,213; the Model 3 Long Range, which gets 580 km on a single charge, will cost NIS 219,510; and the Model 3 Performance, which can go faster, is NIS 250,860.The Model S will cost between NIS 420,000 and NIS 739,000, depending on the version, while the Model X costs between NIS 446,000 and NIS 645,000.
