Tesla to open first local showrooms

A Tesla showroom is being prepared at the Hanam Starfield in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province. Tesla Korea said it will open the showroom on March 15. / Korea Times photo by Jhoo Dong-chan

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Tesla Korea will open its first showroom here March 15, along with another in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, March 17, the local unit of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker said Wednesday.

Tesla Korea sent emails Tuesday to customers who preordered its EV models to inform them of the opening day and the location of its showrooms.

The U.S. EV maker’s flagship sedan, the S 90D, is expected to be displayed at the showrooms where customers can see and experience the luxury EV model’s interior, the company said.

Tesla Korea added that it will also offer a test drive for customers who are curious about the car and its performance.

Currently, only the Tesla S 90D is allowed for test drives given that other models have not yet been approved by the government.

Customers can apply for the test drive via online reservations.

The Tesla dedicated vehicle charging device, the destination charger, will be installed at its showrooms.

Tesla Korea previously announced that it will install a total of 25 destination chargers at Shinsegae Group’s retail outlets, including its department stores, E-marts and Starbucks by the end of the first half of this year.

Last week, Tesla Korea began its sales for customers here who preordered the Tesla S 90D.

Those customers can complete their purchases via the company’s website.

Delivery of the cars is expected to take place by June.

Tesla Korea is also reportedly building a service center in Deungchon-dong, western Seoul, before June.

The S 90D is Tesla’s first and only model the Ministry of Environment has certified.

The ministry confirmed that it has a driving range of 378 kilometers when fully charged.

Its price starts at 121 million won ($106,937), and is expected to reach 161 million won for its full-option package.

The environment ministry and provincial governments are offering 12 million won to 19 million won in subsidies for an EV, but S model customers are not expected to benefit as the sedan failed to meet their requirements. A vehicle should take less than 10 hours to charge on a 7 kilowatt-hour low-speed charger. It takes around 13 hours to fully charge the S 90D's battery.

The Tesla S 90D mounts a single-speed electric motor along with a 90kWh lithium-ion battery that generates a maximum of 417 horsepower.

It takes 4.4 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour. Its top speed is 250 kilometers per hour.