It’s no secret that American electric smart car manufacturer Tesla (TSLA) hasn’t been having a great time in China. Last month, the company’s sales were so bad that CEO Elon Musk threatened firings, though he said he remained confident in the market. Now, the Beijing Youth Daily is reporting that Tesla is offering free wall connector installation for Chinese Tesla owners, making China the first country where Tesla has done that.
How much to Kowtow
Any Tesla can be plugged right into the wall, of course, but cars with dual chargers can charge faster if you install a home wall connector, which outputs up to twice the amperage of a normal outlet. Normally, Tesla customers would need to find and hire an electrician for the installation, but in China Tesla has begun offering this service to customers itself, at no charge. A new Tesla China team will be responsible for every aspect of the process, from the actual installation to making arrangements with building management.
It seems unlikely that this service alone could be enough to convince on-the-fence Chinese consumers to spring for a Tesla, as it doesn’t represent a huge cost offset. But it does show that the company is trying actively to reverse its fortunes in the Middle Kingdom, and willing to experiment with new services that it doesn’t offer elsewhere to do so.
