EVwire brief: Tesla will open new delivery locations in Yokohama and Kobe this month, followed by additional facilities in the greater Tokyo area and Nagoya before the end of the year. The company is expanding its logistics network to keep pace with surging demand in Japan.
Unlike showrooms, delivery centers are dedicated to vehicle handovers. Purchases are completed online.
The four new sites will take Tesla's delivery footprint in Japan from seven to 11 locations, a roughly 60% increase. It follows a record stretch for the automaker, which sold more than 10,000 vehicles in Japan in 2025 before delivering approximately 12,000 in the first half of 2026 alone.
The Model Y is Tesla's biggest seller in Japan.
The rapid increase temporarily strained Tesla's operations, with some customers seeing last-minute changes to delivery dates and pickup locations. Tesla Japan President Richi Hashimoto said the surge was driven by multiple factors, including promotional campaigns.
The free-charging campaign and other factors caused a surge in demand, disrupting the supply balance.
To handle the higher volume, Tesla introduced an AI agent into its delivery process in July. It automates tasks from order placement through vehicle handover.
Tesla now runs its Japan delivery pipeline through an AI agent introduced in July.
The company has also begun importing through Mikawa Port in Aichi Prefecture alongside its existing route through Daikoku Wharf in Yokohama. The two-port setup increases annual import capacity to about 48,000 vehicles, roughly double what Tesla had before.
Hashimoto said Tesla's priority this year is improving the customer experience rather than rapidly growing its retail footprint.
In 2026, instead of rapidly increasing the number of showrooms, we will focus on improving the quality of each individual store.
Tesla has been expanding in Japan through shopping-center showrooms.
Context:
Tesla's momentum in Japan has accelerated as the company focused its lineup around the Model 3 and Model Y while expanding its presence through shopping-center showrooms. Higher government EV subsidies introduced earlier this year, combined with Tesla's three-year free Supercharging promotion, helped drive a record June in which the company delivered roughly 4,000 vehicles and became the No. 2 imported brand for the first time.
Tesla has also been doubling its service center network alongside the delivery expansion, building out the after-sales infrastructure to support a growing owner base.
Source: Nikkei Asia
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