Elon Musk, perhaps the closest thing to a real-life Tony Stark, is set to bring Tesla Motors’ Model S to Indonesia in January 2015, local media portal Detik reports.
As CEO and CTO of rocket and spacecraft manufacturing and launch company SpaceX, Musk needs no introduction. He is one of the more famous members of the “PayPal Mafia,” and a name amongst names when it comes to tech innovation. Tesla Motors is one of the only global players that designs, manufactures, and sells luxury electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components.
Detik reports that Tesla’s Model S will be sold by a handful of local luxury car suppliers in Indonesia, one of which is the high-end Prestige Image Motorcars. The company said that the Model S would arrive at their dealership some time next month.
Tesla Model S
Regarding the necessary infrastructure for electric cars, Indonesia is not ideal. Tesla cars require electric charging points, which Jakarta is not well-known for, although a few were built back in 2012. Nevertheless, electric cars like the Tesla Model S can drive up to 400 kilometers when the battery is full. In Indonesia, Tesla vehicle owners would primarily need to charge their cars at home or at their office. In the US, the Tesla Model S 2014 has a starting price around US$69,900. It’s still unknown how much the car will be sold for in Indonesia.
Indonesia has made some tentative commitments to fostering the growth of electric cars. Recently, the government signed an agreement with five universities, encouraging them to start developing electric vehicles in hopes of reducing the archipelago’s dependence on oil. The government is ready to disburse Rp 76 billion (about US$6 million) to each university. In January, Surabaya’s Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) is set to implement an electric bus on campus, which can run up to 160 kilometers per fully charged battery. Previously, ITS had also launched a series of nationwide electric car variants. Former minister of state Dahlan Iskan is also determined to continue efforts to develop electric cars locally.
See: Jakarta goes green with charging stations, electric cars
Editing by Josh Horwitz
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