When it comes to vehicles leading the electric vehicles market, Tesla still retains the #1 stop, even after all these years with so many electric vehicles springing forward and many manufacturers creating their EV lineup.
Despite being the leading EV, there’s still a relatively low number of Tesla owners in Nigeria. While the bigger guess is the issue of stable electricity in Nigeria, there are still a huge number of other things anyone planning to own a Tesla in Nigeria should know about.
Speaking to a 2021 Tesla Model X, here are some of the things the owner shared with Nairametrics concerning owning a Tesla in Nigeria.
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- The Tesla Has Huge Public Rating in Nigeria
Although the electric car market in Nigeria has continued to expand and welcome many vehicles like the Hyundai Kona, Changan EV, Jet Systems Motors and many others, the Tesla still remains one EV that many Nigerians want to own. According to the Nigerian Model X owner, identified as Hamilton Ezeonu, many young Nigerians appreciate the Tesla.
- Navigating the Tesla With Nigerian Bad Road Network
According to Mr Ezeonu, he drives his Tesla efficiently in Nigeria and even enjoys the vehicle’s self-driving mode. He notes that the challenge of driving a Tesla in Nigeria is not different from that of driving a Tesla in New York where there are many bad roads.
He shares with the publication that when a user wants to program their Tesla, the Tesla app comes in handy. For instance, if the user wants to monitor traffic, the app reveals the number of miles they will cover on their trip and estimates traffic time as well. So, before you leave home with your Tesla, you already have an idea of the amount of energy they will consume.
- Charging the Tesla in Nigeria
Despite the issue of 24/7 electricity in Nigeria which has deterred many Nigerians from purchasing electric vehicles, Mr. Ezeonu shares that a fully charged Tesla will travel for 350 miles before it goes off. Using a road trip from Lagos to Anambra State, he notes that the Tesla will cover such a trip since it’s only 290 miles. He also notes that the Tesla can travel from one end of Lagos to another on a single charge.
He tells the publication:
“You can have a full charge in your house in Lagos and probably drive for four days on average, without charging. From one end to the other end of Lagos, is not far, From Victoria Island to Ikeja is like 7 to 8 miles, for instance, compared to a full charge of 350 miles. Once your Tesla is fully charged, you are good to go for the next three to four or even five days.
“However, if your Tesla is fully charged at 350 miles and you encounter a lot of traffic, the car could last for three days as opposed to five days, because your air conditioner could be on. However, there is a way to regulate your cooling unit, so you do not burn too much energy. You can set the cooling unit to a particular temperature, like 65 or 70 degrees and it should not go below this range. If you keep the temperature low in traffic, your battery will not run down easily.
“To reduce your energy consumption when driving a Tesla in Nigeria, you need to program everything and keep it at a constant level. Also, when you are driving, try not to accelerate too much, if you do, your battery runs down too fast. If you follow the self-driving speed and just hold your steering wheel when in motion, it saves you more energy.”
- Power Source for Charging a Tesla in Nigeria
Mr Ezeonu told Nairamteric that he uses solar for 85% of his power needs in Nigeria, and since charging the Tesla is like charging a phone or computer, the power used in charging the Tesla does not negatively affect the lithium-ion batteries that power his solar home system.
He equally added that charging a Tesla does not drain as much energy as water pumps. He states that he uses a prepaid meter for on-grid power but solar power is what he uses most and he only uses solar energy to charge his Tesla Model X.
- Police Harassment for Driving a Tesla
Mr. Ezeonu notes that he has never had to face any harassment from a Nigerian police officer. Rather, the officer he has encountered has only asked to know the name of the vehicle, which shows that there’s still a lot of enlightenment to do for the Tesla in Nigeria.
- Cost of Owning a Tesla in Nigeria
Talking about the cost of his Tesla, Mr Ezeonu notes that he purchased his Tesla in 2021 for $130,000, which is the equivalent of N130 million today. He also noted that he paid N20 million in clearing fees to get the vehicle out of the Lagos port.
- Tech Updates in the Tesla for Nigerians
According to Mr. Ezeonu, his Tesla is a 2021 Model X but as of 2023, the vehicle’s software has been updated to reflect that of the 2023 model. He states that the cars are regularly updated and the very fact that the fibre optic network, SpaceX’s Starlink is available makes it easier for the Tesla app to function efficiently in the country.
Conclusion
These experiences of owning the Tesla in Nigeria are unique to Mr Hamilton Ezeonu and do not indicate the experiences of the few others using electric vehicles in Nigeria. Especially with regards to charging an EV in Nigeria, it’s important to know that no two Nigerian experiences will be the same knowing the country’s unstable power supply.
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