The Tesla Model Y L units for the first 30 local customers who placed an order have already arrived on Philippine shores—yes, less than a month after the electric three-row crossover’s launch in the last week of March, and 20 days after Tesla Philippines began accepting orders on April 3. The units are scheduled for turnover on May 3.
For those who are only about to order a custom Tesla vehicle, however, the countdown for the arrival of units could take anywhere from two to four months, which is the standard waiting time for made-to-order units.
That said, there is a limited number of units in the local inventory available for purchase, but the catch is that they can no longer be customized with your preferred exterior paint job, interior color scheme, and Autopilot package. Our team visited the brand’s Bonifacio Global City dealership this week to shoot the latest installment of our Wrong Car/Right Car series, and our featured guest was told that if she were to opt for a Tesla Model Y from the local inventory, she could get her unit as soon as four days upon placing an order.
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The demand for Teslas has increased exponentially due to the Middle East conflict and the ensuing oil crisis. We arrived at the dealership for our video shoot 15 minutes before opening, and within half an hour, it was already starting to get packed. Some customers even traveled from outside Metro Manila—there was one from Dumaguete while we were there—just to check out and test-drive the cars.
Those familiar with the Tesla sales process will of course know that you don’t actually have to go to the dealership to place an order—the whole process can be done online on the official website. Upon choosing your preferred variant and customizations, you pay a nonrefundable order fee of P15,000, which may be settled online via a debit or credit card. You then have to wait for an email notifying you to pay a production deposit of P200,000; this can be done via bank transfer, and only upon payment will Tesla begin building your unit.
Understandably, some buyers prefer to examine a car in the metal, have a sales agent explain the features, and go on a test drive before making a final decision. Just be warned that there’s a queue to test-drive a Tesla at the moment—we were told the next available schedule is already in May—so while you can drop by anytime to examine the cars, make sure to book a test-drive in advance.
