Tesla Model S for sale in Australia – but for how much?

Almost two years after the Tesla Model S was released in its home market in the US, the California-based EV maker has named its price for Australian buyers of the fully electric luxury sedan, with deliveries to pre-ordered customers and new purchases set to begin in September.

Following the approval of Australia’s motoring safety body, Tesla has confirmed that the cheapest Model S available to Australian buyers would cost $97,245 – once you factor in Australia’s luxury car tax ($4,808), registration costs ($523), local CTP ($767) and stamp duty ($3,910) – but only for customers in the Australian Capital Territory.

As Tesla’s website shows, the Model S prices vary from state to state and from version to version – there are three: the 60 (60kWh battery), the 80 (85kWh battery) and the “performance” P85 model (85kWh battery). Cheapest in Canberra, the base model costs $101,408 in New South Wales, and $103,133 in Western Australia, where it is most expensive.

A high-end Model S with added optional features, like the P85 Performance Plus model, can almost double the vehicle’s price, with a top-spec Model S P85+ climbing up to $200,602 in Western Australia.

How do these prices stack up? According to The Motor Report, “being able to drive off in a cutting-edge all-electric large luxury sedan for less than six figures is simply astonishing,” especially when considering the Tesla S “emits no greenhouse gasses, will cost peanuts to run and its performance doesn’t lag far behind that of the BMW, Lexus or Infiniti.”

Accordingly, the many Australian buyers lined up on pre-order seem to be forging ahead. But for many other potential buyers, particularly those in the west, the issue of range (390km for the 60kWh battery version) could still be a sticking point.

As Gizmodo notes, Australia’s own super network of dedicated high-speed charging stations is yet to be constructed, although having been confirmed by Tesla CTO JB Straubel, it should only be a matter of time.

A Tesla supercharger is able to restore half a top-end Model S’s rated 500km range in just half an hour of charging, making it possible to travel long distances in the car where the necessary infrastructure is installed.