Tesla is ramping up its local presence with the opening of a giant new facility in South Auckland.
“Tesla South” is 28,780sq m, or the size of three rugby fields.
It features a showroom, a service centre, a delivery area, an area where cars are prepared before being handed over to customers and a huge parts warehouse (which the Herald could not film or photograph).
The 147 Kirkbride Rd, Māngere facility had an open day last week for the public between 11am and 2pm, with giveaways including tacos, donuts and two-day vehicle loans.
The cavernous facility is needed, in part, because EV sales are booming.
As owners raced to buy EVs before the Clean Car Discount was reduced on July 1, new vehicle registrations hit a record 23,560 for the month, according to Motor Industry Association stats.
Of that total, 17,299 were passenger vehicles, and a new high of 34.97 per cent or 8240 were electric-powered vehicles (2643 pure battery electric vehicles, 1318 plug-in hybrid EVs, and 4297 hybrids.)
All up, electric vehicle sales were close to double that of June last year.
According to MIA figures, Tesla sold 7007 cars in New Zealand last year, accounting for 4 per cent of all new passenger and commercial vehicle registrations this year and putting it at number seven in the market.
For June just gone, MIA says Tesla moved 985 cars in NZ, putting it at number six in new passenger vehicle sales with 6 per cent share.
There was a bulge in sales ahead of the Clean Car Discount falling, modestly, from June 30. And EV sales could face a headwind from March 31 next year, when light electric vehicles are set to lose their Road User Charges exemption - meaning the average EV owner will face just under $1000 per year in RUC charges, according to an AA calculation.
But overall, there’s no doubt the EV market now has unstoppable momentum and is growing at a rate far faster than any of our politicians or policymakers expected.
“Having service and a parts warehouse under one roof allows us to accelerate the speed we provide service to our customers,” a Tesla spokeswoman told the Herald.
“With readily available parts on-site, we increase the service capacity on site each day. The brand-new showroom gives customers the opportunity to explore our products and easily schedule and complete a test drive with on-site parking and the support of our team, who strive to make pre/during/post-delivery experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible.”
Tesla will keep its smaller facility in Karangahape Rd in the central city.
“Ultimately, we want to make Tesla ownership more convenient and experiencing Tesla more accessible – the Māngere location makes this possible and we are excited to welcome everyone to the event on Saturday (and onwards) to showcase this,” the Tesla spokeswoman said.
The building has been fitted with emission-lowering features like solar panels, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting and Tesla Powerwall units.
Tesla Q&A
Does it cost $1000 to change a tyre?
Contrary to some of the social media chatter, it does not cost $1000 to replace a tyre.
A customer forwarded the Herald an invoice for two new high-performance Michelin XL Pilot Sport tyres for his Tesla. The bill came to $1288 ($529.56 for each tyre, plus $50 for fitting and balancing, $9 for a valve and a $10 disposal fee for his old tyres).
But there’s also nothing to stop you heading to Costco’s tyre centre and picking up some tyres for $340 (as another reader did) or less. There’s no special tyre that only Tesla can sell you.
How long do the batteries last?
Tesla batteries are warranted to maintain at least 75 per cent efficiency after eight years.
What will it cost to replace them?
Tesla has yet to hit that eight-year mark for mass-market models - and the firm says it won’t give a price until closer to the date, given battery prices are shifting as the market scales. But the broad rule of thumb is that for most makes and models of EV, the batteries account for around a third of the new car price.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.