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Model S / X as a viable purchase in Australia

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K

kieranu

Member
Jul 22, 2014
268
177
Australia
#1
As a Perth resident who has had a keen interest in buying a Tesla for about 5 years now here is my perspective on what needs to happen for the Tesla Model S / X to make the same kind of inroads here as it has in the US (beyond the enthusiast with money to burn). My household is in the top 15% of Australian earners so I am thinking this should put me within Tesla's target demographic.

1) Better tax incentives (e.g. get rid of stamp duty and LCT on EVs at the very least and/or make getting a novated lease worth-while wrt FBT), ACT is most of the way there
2) Option to finance over 7 years at < 5% interest pa, putting payments on a modestly spec'd S85 at around $1500 per month assuming deposit of $10k or less (based on the US model the car depreciates at 50% over 3 years so at $18k per year you are at least beating depreciation).
3) Tesla service centres in every major city including Perth
4) To me while it would be nice to have a supercharger network, this is by no means a deal breaker - the majority of Australian working in cities live in houses with a carport or garage within a 50km commute to work so even if they plug into a standard connection at home (and a lot of us have three phase) the S85 has more than enough range - they can have the car charged up and ready to go over night.

If at least 2 and 3 can be sorted out I'm in, would cost me about the same as my current 5 year buy on a Prado GXL.
 
#2
kieranu said:
As a Perth resident who has had a keen interest in buying a Tesla for about 5 years now here is my perspective on what needs to happen for the Tesla Model S / X to make the same kind of inroads here as it has in the US (beyond the enthusiast with money to burn). My household is in the top 15% of Australian earners so I am thinking this should put me within Tesla's target demographic.

1) Better tax incentives (e.g. get rid of stamp duty and LCT on EVs at the very least and/or make getting a novated lease worth-while wrt FBT), ACT is most of the way there
2) Option to finance over 7 years at < 5% interest pa, putting payments on a modestly spec'd S85 at around $1500 per month assuming deposit of $10k or less (based on the US model the car depreciates at 50% over 3 years so at $18k per year you are at least beating depreciation).
3) Tesla service centres in every major city including Perth
4) To me while it would be nice to have a supercharger network, this is by no means a deal breaker - the majority of Australian working in cities live in houses with a carport or garage within a 50km commute to work so even if they plug into a standard connection at home (and a lot of us have three phase) the S85 has more than enough range - they can have the car charged up and ready to go over night.

If at least 2 and 3 can be sorted out I'm in, would cost me about the same as my current 5 year buy on a Prado GXL.
Click to expand...

In reply to:
1) Not likely to happen with the current government or possible the other side either.
2) Start your own EV finance company and see if you can make it work. :)
3) I think there are a number of orders in Perth so you may see this, just not right away.
4) I think there will be Superchargers on the East Coast and eventually even one between Perth and Esperance, but to link Perth to Adelaide someone will need to think outside the square.
Soon it may be possible to bridge some of the distance with Solar Hybrid stations located close to the highway feeding the electricity to the local township that just happens to also have a Tesla Supercharger as well. Without the grid linking across the Nullabor there will always be gaps.
 
#3
Agree with meloccom on all points but as a confirmed future owner in Perth, I know the service centre is coming as it would be too expensive for Tesla to honour the service contract without a local team. Think of it this way, if you're one of the first movers you'll almost have the service centre to yourself, imagine the response times!!
 
#4
So to link between Perth and Adelaide you would need Hybrid Solar installations with Superchargers at:
Southern Cross WA 400Km from Perth
Norseman WA 350Km from Southern Cross
Baladonia WA 220Km from Norseman (this gets you within 200Km of Esperance)
Nullabor Plain 374Km from Baladonia
Border Village SA 284km from Nullabor Plain
Coorabie SA 342Km from Border Village
Wudinna SA 366Km from Coorabie
Port August SA 259Km from Wudinna
Adelaide SA 307Km from Port Agusta
So 9 Supercharger stops
 
#5
How many people drive cars across Australia now? 4.5 million in superchargers to do it? I don't think so. Even if we had a penetration of 5 % of the car fleet with model S, it would not be worth it in terms of actual trips taken. Remember model3 is going to have a shorter range.
 
#6
Dborn said:
How many people drive cars across Australia now? 4.5 million in superchargers to do it? I don't think so. Even if we had a penetration of 5 % of the car fleet with model S, it would not be worth it in terms of actual trips taken. Remember model3 is going to have a shorter range.
Click to expand...

Maybe for next few years you need to take the train (with car transported on the train) if you want to do that trip with a model S?
 
#7
TesAus said:
Maybe for next few years you need to take the train (with car transported on the train) if you want to do that trip with a model S?
Click to expand...
have actually done the Indian Pacific, was a great trip, but only did it one way. 4 days is ok once, interesting. However, once you have seen it.... Also the Nullarbor was green from relatively recent rain when I did it. Without that, hmmmmmm....
 
#8
Dborn said:
have actually done the Indian Pacific, was a great trip, but only did it one way. 4 days is ok once, interesting. However, once you have seen it.... Also the Nullarbor was green from relatively recent rain when I did it. Without that, hmmmmmm....
Click to expand...

With stops for charging/sleeping etc. not sure it would be much faster driving? I think it also underlines that this is not a trip people are going to undertake regularly and hence can the investment in a chain of superchargers be justified ( as you noted a few posts ago).
 
Last edited:
#9
Let's face it - with our population so dispersed, electric cars are no a complete substitute for the ICE, yet at least. The Model S is a large luxury car and most buyers will still have another ICE car if they plan regular interstate or outback travel. Personally, I'm in no hurry to abandon the ICE anyway; I like the sound and the speed too much. :eek:
 
#11
I've lived in Perth for 14 years and despite regular travel to the east coast, not once have I been tempted to drive it.

Just. Too. Boring.

I'd be happy with just 2 superchargers on the whole WA coast. One in Dunsborough and perhaps one in Dongara. I'd say those 2 alone would handle 95% of Perth folks' short stay hols. On current order numbers that would be roughly one supercharger each, so doubt it'll happen till some more local orders go through.
 
#12
Thanks for all the responses. It seems to be the case that they aren't going to deliver models to Perth until the service centre here opens so that point is probably a little moot. Since we are blessed with 240V here one can do a full charge over night at each or most of the places listed on your way across the Nullabor, even with a single charger, so as I say not a deal breaker. It just means you are limited to four hours or so of driving across per day (or at least 9 hour rest stops) rather than hooning it in a straight 48 hours or whatever. For the 400km I do of driving on a good week I can just charge it in the garage over night once a week. Otherwise you can still manage a return trip to Dunsborough on a single charge. Once they have their service infrastructure in place I can imagine they will put in a Supercharger every 150 clicks or so at least along each of the coasts and through the Nullabor. That would only be about 100 of them so not all that big a deal and it is clear Tesla's mission is for Tesla vehicles (even with a range of 200km) to be able to make any trip the equivalent ICE car will go (I'll be keeping the Prado until they come out with a proper 4x4 sometime next decade) with the only proviso being an extended stopover at a Supercharger on road-trips until battery technology can get round that problem. They already have built more than 100 in the US to support 80% of the population with a view to cover 98% of the population by 2015.

If I were cashed up enough believe me I would buy this vehicle (even spec'd it out - S85 with pano, tech package and parking sensors please). For what you get and the lack of maintenance costs it's a great car for the price. I'm hoping that once Tesla are established here they can offer a finance arrangement similar to Nissan has with the Leaf only of course for almost three times the amount. If they're serious about shifting product here beyond the individuals on this forum it will definitely be in their interest for them to do so given the premium we have to pay here. It will be hard for almost anyone to justify spending close to $200k on the lifetime of a loan for a $130k vehicle that may only be valued at around $30k by the end of the life of the loan. And very few people are in the position to pay $130k cash on a car.

The fact you get nailed for the tax here sucks but nothing much that can be done about that without a major change in attitude from the general populace to force the hand of the government.
 
Last edited:
#15
kieranu said:
As a Perth resident who has had a keen interest in buying a Tesla for about 5 years now here is my perspective on what needs to happen for the Tesla Model S / X to make the same kind of inroads here as it has in the US (beyond the enthusiast with money to burn). My household is in the top 15% of Australian earners so I am thinking this should put me within Tesla's target demographic.

1) Better tax incentives (e.g. get rid of stamp duty and LCT on EVs at the very least and/or make getting a novated lease worth-while wrt FBT), ACT is most of the way there
2) Option to finance over 7 years at < 5% interest pa, putting payments on a modestly spec'd S85 at around $1500 per month assuming deposit of $10k or less (based on the US model the car depreciates at 50% over 3 years so at $18k per year you are at least beating depreciation).
3) Tesla service centres in every major city including Perth
4) To me while it would be nice to have a supercharger network, this is by no means a deal breaker - the majority of Australian working in cities live in houses with a carport or garage within a 50km commute to work so even if they plug into a standard connection at home (and a lot of us have three phase) the S85 has more than enough range - they can have the car charged up and ready to go over night.

If at least 2 and 3 can be sorted out I'm in, would cost me about the same as my current 5 year buy on a Prado GXL.
Click to expand...

Was just browsing older threads and found this one. Seems that all of Kieranu's perceptions have been answered.

Nostradamus eh.
 
  • Funny
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