Tesla Searching for Country Manager for Israeli Market

Tesla recently opened a job listing for a country manager position in Israel. Based on the details of the job, Tesla may be planning to establish the foundational infrastructure for future car sales in Israel. 

The listing for a Tesla country manager in Israel was posted on October 30, 2019. According to the job description, the person hired will be based in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

According to The Jerusalem Post, Tesla has been in demand in Israel. The middle-eastern country has tried several times over the years to import US-made Teslas through third-party dealerships. However, Elon Musk and Tesla executives have denied these requests. 

Tesla’s business model does not allow third-party dealerships like other automakers, instead preferring to sell its vehicles directly to customers through experience centers or galleries similar to Apple and its Apple Stores. With a country manager being hired by the electric car maker, it may only be a matter of time before Tesla gains a foothold into the Israeli electric car market. 

Hiring in Israel indicates that preparations for $TSLA entering Israeli market are underway.https://t.co/kYi5HHbxv8

— Vladimir Grinshpun (@VGrinshpun) November 11, 2019

EV sales in Israel increased in 2018, making 1 percent of its auto market. Over 2,000 plug-in electric vehicles were registered last year, reported CleanTechnica. It must be noted, however, that 95 percent of the 1 percent PEV share were specifically PHEVs, like BMW 530s and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which still utilize internal combustion engines.

Even so, more EVs are coming to Israel. Jaguar and Audi started advertising the I-PACE and e-tron last year. They were listed at premium prices, too. So, there may be some unquenched demand for luxury EVs that Tesla can fulfill in the country.

The Tesla country manager in Israel will be responsible for a myriad of duties, all focusing on three main goals. All the responsibilities and duties of the job can be boiled down to three categories, namely: 1) Act as communication liaison with several parties; 2) Be proactively involved in Tesla Sales; 3) Build and establish foundational infrastructure for Tesla in Israel. 

The post requires the country manager to communicate with Tesla customers in Israel, the Israeli government, and Europe. Many of the responsibilities listed for the position entails the country manager to ensure customer satisfaction, establish a customer base, and an active Tesla community in Israel. 

Besides communicating with Tesla customers, the country manager must also act as a liaison for the all-electric automaker in talks with the Israeli government. Presumably, the manager will have to make sure all Tesla facilities, operations, and movements are up to government code. 

Whoever is hired will be working closely with Tesla Europe. “Contribute to broader European service, sales, and delivery strategy, and initiatives, engage in the network of European Service, Sales, and Delivery Managers, share and leverage best practices across borders,” stated the job details. 

Global map of Tesla Superchargers, including those coming soon https://t.co/Ld5FQgCSs1

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2018

The other main responsibility of Tesla’s country manager in Israel is to focus on sales and everything it entails. Lastly, s/he will be in charge of establishing Tesla facilities. The head of operations may need to build and develop experience centers or Tesla galleries, as seen in other countries. These facilities will help Tesla-curious customers learn more about Elon Musk’s all-electric vehicles and energy products. 

The manager will be in charge of establishing Supercharger stations in the country as well. Earlier this year, Elon Musk shared his plans to build 10K Supercharger Stations worldwide. Israel was one of the countries on his list. 

Gigafactory 3 in China has garnered much of the attention from Tesla observers, both bears and bulls alike. So, news of Tesla establishing roots in Israel may come as a surprise. However, the Shanghai factory may have helped speed up business opportunities in Israel for Tesla. Fremont would have some trouble supplying all the vehicles to meet the global demand for Tesla vehicles. Gigafactory 3 relieves some of the pressure from Fremont and GF2 by providing Teslas to one of the countries with the most demand for Teslas.