Tesla prepares to bring its electric cars to South America

ev charger

SAN FRANCISCO -

Tesla is preparing to bring its electric cars to South America, according to a new job posting in Chile.

It has been just over a decade since Tesla launched the Model S and significantly accelerated the deployment of electric vehicles around the world.

The automaker has expanded its efforts across North America, and most countries in Europe, and it is still gradually expanding in Asia.

But there’s one continent that Tesla hasn’t touched yet: South America.

It sounds like it is about to change.

Tesla has started to promote a job posting on LinkedIn for a country manager in Chile.

The country manager is generally the first person hired when Tesla expands in a new market.

The job is going to be based in Santiago, the capital of Chile, where the company is also looking for some Tesla advisors and service technicians.

Chile is an interesting choice for a first entry into the South American market. The Chilean auto market consists of only about 234,000 vehicles sold year-to-date and that’s down 29% versus the previous year.

That’s roughly the number of vehicles sold in Brazil every month.

While the size of the auto market in the country is small, there’s a strong interest for electric vehicles there, which might explain Tesla’s foray.

The country is rich in lithium, a critical material for EV batteries, which has helped create interest for electric vehicles in the country. The government also announced an initiative to allow for only new sales of electric vehicles in the country starting in 2035.

Tesla’s Chinese competitor BYD has set its sight on the South American market by bringing its cheaper China-made EVs to the market, but now it looks like Tesla is willing to test the market on the higher-end.

Related News

Energy Storage

Massachusetts Issues Energy Storage Solicitation Offering $10M

BOSTON - Massachusetts released a much-awaited energy storage solicitation on Thursday offering up to $10 million for new projects.

Issued by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the solicitation makes available $100,000 to $1.25 million in matching funds for each chosen project.

The solicitation springs from a state report issued last year that found Massachusetts could save electricity ratepayers $800 million by incorporating 600 MW of energy storage projects. The state plans to set a specific energy storage goal, now the subject of a separate proceeding before the DOER.

The state is offering money for projects…

READ MORE
2020 us renewables graph

Renewables became the second-most prevalent U.S. electricity source in 2020

READ MORE

wind power

Stalled spending on electrical grids slows rollout of renewable energy

READ MORE

Solar Is Now 33% Cheaper Than Gas Power in US, Guggenheim Says

READ MORE

Alberta renewable energy surge could power 4,500 jobs

READ MORE