Billionaire Elon Musk on Monday announced that Tesla is making a ‘big’ investment in Japan to expand the electric vehicle maker’s service infrastructure and supercharger network in the country.
The move highlights Tesla’s strategy to keep up with the increasing demand for EVs while strengthening its footprint in one of the world’s most advanced automotive markets.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, the expansion comes as the EV maker plans to double the number of service centres in Japan from 14 to more than 30 this year, in a bid to improve after-sales support for customers and gain market share.
“Tesla is making a big investment in Japan with service & Superchargers,” Tesla chief Musk wrote on X.
Tesla’s ties with Japan
In the post, Musk also commented on Tesla’s business ties with Japan. He said that many of the parts in Tesla cars are made in Japan. Additionally, Panasonic has been the biggest supplier for the EV company over the last 20 years, he added.
“Many of the parts in Teslas are made in Japan. Panasonic has been our biggest strategic supplier over the past 2 decades [sic],” Musk said in the tweet.
The Nikkei Asia report mentions that Tesla will tap “turnkey” properties that were previously used as maintenance shops, as this would help the company quickly expand the service centre network at low cost.
Meanwhile, in areas where directly operated service centres are not available, Tesla is partnering with local auto care facilities, providing customers with more than 50 locations to service their vehicles.
Tesla sees high demand in Japan
Tesla’s sales in Japan surged 90% last year to around 10,600 vehicles, surpassing the previous high of around 5,900 vehicles in 2022, the report said.
The sharp rise in demand can be attributed to Tesla’s limited-time discounts, which, in turn, helped boost sales. The company also shifted its focus from online marketing to in-person sales at dealerships, expanding the number of dealerships to around 30 in 2025 from roughly 10 earlier.
Once a customer completes the registration process for a new vehicle, the first mandatory auto inspection is required within three years. With heightened sales in Japan, Tesla is anticipating a rise in demand for inspections.
Hence, expanding the service centre network will enable the company to meet customer demand for auto inspections and periodic maintenance checkups of their vehicles.
Tesla is now taking major steps to retain its expanding customer base in Japan, including expanding its service centre network and improving customer support, the report said.
