Tesla begins taking pre-orders of cars for Turkish market
Tesla vehicles showcased during the brand's launch in Türkiye in a shopping mall in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 3, 2023. (DHA Photo)


The U.S. electric vehicle giant Tesla has announced the start of its much-anticipated sales in the Turkish market, with the launch of its Model Y vehicle.

The car-maker will begin sales in the country with pre-orders scheduled from April 4 onward, and deliveries scheduled to start in May.

The Model Y will be sourced for the Turkish market from Tesla's plant in Berlin, Germany. Three versions of the Model Y will be available for sale in Türkiye.

The Standard Range version, which boasts rear-wheel drive and a range of 455 kilometers (282.7 miles), will be priced at TL 1,548,732 ($80,530). The Long Range variant, featuring a twin-engine and four-wheel drivetrain, will be available for TL 1,619,532.

The top-of-the-line Model Y Performance version will be offered at TL 1,778,821. With a twin-engine all-wheel drivetrain, it offers a range of 514 kilometers.

The Model Y will be up for pre-orders on Tesla's official website. The pre-order price has been fixed at TL 10,000.

The deliveries will be made in Istanbul’s Akasya shopping mall in the Anatolian part of the city, and Kanyon mall in the European part. The brand’s first service center will be opened in Istanbul’s Merter.

Tesla Model Y vehicles will connect to the Internet with Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK)-approved SIMs at the factory.

While the autonomous driving feature (FSD) for vehicles is planned to be ready by May, it will be included in the standard autopilot price for all versions.

However, an additional payment of TL 100,000 will be required when advanced autopilot is requested.

Tesla charging stations will also be operational with the beginning of sales with some 30 fast charging stations in Istanbul, northwestern Edirne, Bolu provinces and the capital Ankara to be activated.

At the stations, the charging of 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) will be between TL 6.9 and 7.7 for Tesla models, while the charging fee for other electric vehicle brands will be TL 8.6.