According to media reports, this week Tesla opened its first showroom in South America in the capital city of Santiago, Chile, showcasing its electric vehicles. The company is currently working to address the slowdown in demand for electric vehicles and the growth of Chinese competitors.
On February 1st, billionaire Elon Musk, leading Tesla, held a press conference in Santiago, attracting many local luxury car enthusiasts.
A fan named Noemi Schuffeneger expressed, "Seeing these cars in person is so exciting. Tesla is one of my favorite cars." He took pictures with the red, white, and black Model Y and Model 3.
Tesla staff explained features such as air conditioning to visitors, with one staff member pointing out that the operation of electric car air conditioning is different from that of "traditional cars."
According to the Tesla official website, the company had previously opened retail stores in Mexico, but its business had not yet entered the South American market.
Although the overall adoption rate of electric vehicles remains low in Latin America due to consumer concerns about high prices and underdeveloped charging networks, Chile aims to sell only electric vehicles from 2035. Chile is one of the world's largest lithium reserves, and lithium is a key component of electric vehicle batteries.
In September of last year, Tesla registered a company in Chile, taking the first step in entering South America with the purpose of "importing, exporting, manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and selling cars, especially electric cars.
