Tesla Prepares Arrival in Australia

It seems that the electric car manufacturer Tesla is preparing to start selling its Roadster model in Australia, through a Sydney showroom, later this year. At the moment, the automaker is pending final Australian homologation.

Australians showed a real interest in the electric car, as several are expecting the delivery of the Roadster after placing orders directly through the niche American manufacturer and its London sales outlet, says goauto.com.au.

Though sales of the Roadster will not be extremely high, Tesla sees its presence on the Australian market as very important, especially as the car maker intends to widen its range with introduction of the seven-seat Model S. The Model S is supposed to hit the streets in the US in 2011. The EV’s retail price should be of around half the price of the Roadster, according to Tesla.

Orders for the Model S are well underway in the United States. The car is priced at US $49,900 and will be build in both left- and right-hand drive from a new plant in southern California.

“We are currently well into the process of getting the car homologated – that is, approved for sale, meeting or exceeding all crash test and other safety standards – in Australia,” Tesla Motors’ European spokesperson Rachel Konrad told GoAuto. “We are aiming for launch of sales later this year, possibly fall (Spring), but we cannot be more specific at this time. We plan to open a store in Sydney but are not yet discussing exact timing or location.”