Tesla ( TSLA.US ) Japan “Speeding Up”: Plans to expand stores to 60 locations, aiming to be the top seller of imported cars next year

Zhigong Finance APP learned that on Friday, Tesla’s (TSLA.US) head of business for Japan said the company plans to expand the number of stores in Japan to at least 60, aiming to become the country’s largest imported car brand as early as next year. Over the past two years, Tesla has driven growth in sales in Japan by expanding its store and service network and increasing training investment, even though Japan’s overall EV adoption rate remains at a relatively low level.

Under the leadership of Elon Musk, Tesla is accelerating its expansion into the Japanese market. At the same time, EV sales in the United States and other major global markets have slowed significantly, making regions with lower EV penetration increasingly important.

Tesla Japan country manager Hashimoto said at the Model Y L listing event in L, “We hope to become Japan’s number one imported car brand as early as next year.” He also laid out the company’s mid- to long-term goals in Japan. Last year, Tesla’s sales in Japan were only slightly above 10k units.

On Friday, Tesla began accepting orders for the Model Y L in Japan. This is a six-seat family-oriented model, aimed at expanding the customer base from early adopters to a broader range of consumers.

Continued expansion of stores and service network

Hashimoto revealed that Tesla currently has 35 stores and 14 service centers in Japan, and plans to expand the service network by more than double to about 30 locations. Tesla’s store design emphasizes providing test-drive experiences, aiming to alleviate drivers’ concerns about trading in to an electric vehicle—especially for users accustomed to gasoline vehicles.

“Simply increasing the number of stores won’t drive consumers to buy,” Hashimoto said, adding that once consumers personally test drive, their concerns are often eliminated immediately.

According to data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association, Japan’s imported car market has long been dominated by German luxury brands. In 2025, Mercedes-Benz topped the imported car brand ranking with nearly 51k units sold, followed by BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi.

Even though automakers such as Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, and China’s BYD have launched electric vehicles, Japan remains one of the main markets that has been slowest to adopt pure electric vehicles, with consumers more inclined toward hybrid models.

Some analysts believe that concerns about fuel prices stemming from the situation in the Middle East may lead more Japanese consumers to switch from gasoline and diesel cars to electric vehicles.

Hashimoto said Tesla Japan places a high priority on improving employee quality, especially by strengthening training for sales advisors. About 70% of sales advisors have been in their roles for less than six months. He added that this approach has helped new employees shorten the time to close their first deal. In the first quarter of this year, Tesla’s sales in Japan were already about half of last year’s total sales.