In Cars, Hybrids, EVs and Alternative Fuel, Local News, Tesla Motors / By Anthony Lim / 26 September 2016 10:34 am / 30 comments

An update on the Tesla initiative being carried out by Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia). Its CEO Ahmad Hadri Haris told paultan.org that the first batch of Tesla vehicles will soon be arriving in the country – the shipment is made up of 10 units, and consists primarily of S 70 rear-wheel drive variants, along with a single P90D performance all-wheel drive unit.

The vehicles are all examples of the Model S facelift version that was announced in April this year. The 2016 rework brings about a new, more streamlined fascia and a pair of new adaptive LED headlamps with 14 three-position LED dynamic turning lights. Also new to the mix are a body-coloured front chin spoiler, side skirts and rear valence.

Inside, the updated electric vehicle gets fresh trim choices and new equipment options, including a HEPA air filtration system, but we haven’t been given details of how the S 70 and P90D have been kitted. Standard fit items include a 17-inch capacitive touchscreen that serves as a display for the car’s infotainment system, navigation system, a reverse camera and eight airbags.

The S 70 is powered by a rear axle-mounted electric motor with 315 hp and 440 Nm, and performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 5.8 seconds and a 230 km/h top speed, which isn’t very different than that found on the S 85 (save a lower power output from the motor, torque and performance stats are very much dead ringers on both cars).

Last year, two S 85 examples were brought in, very much test-bed units meant to showcase the car and its tech, which we highlighted through a special preview as well as an exclusive first-drive report. The 85 kW battery version was discontinued earlier this year, its place effectively taken up by the 75, which has similar specs but a marginally lower operating range (401 km to the 426 km on the 85).

As for the P90D, the dual-motor system on the all-wheel drive offering is good for 504 hp (with the battery taken into account, 691 hp being the max output of the motor alone) and 931 Nm. Relevant numbers include a 410 km operating range, a 0-100 km/h time of 3.3 seconds and a 249 km/h top speed.

The 10 cars are part of a special quota of duty-exempt Teslas being brought in via a special programme. Back in February, prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the government had given the green light for the duty-free importation of 100 Tesla Model S vehicles as part of its efforts to promote electric vehicles.

Last year, it was announced that the Teslas will be deployed through a leasing programme, with the cars only available to government-linked companies, a point that was reiterated during the duty-free importation announcement back in February. We were told sometime back that some aspects of the leasing are set to revised; more on this as well as the local-spec cars when the time comes.

Elswhere, GreenTech says it will be announcing developments about its ChargEV programme related to Petronas at this year’s International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition (IGEM 2016). We’ll have more news on it when the show begins, on October 5.