Tesla has officially opened for business in Uruguay, sharing footage from its Montevideo launch event and listing the country on its website for stores, service, Superchargers, and deliveries. It's the company's third direct-sales market in South America — and arguably its most EV-ready one yet.
What's Available and What It Costs
Uruguayan regulators had already pre-approved three variants each of the Model 3 and Model Y ahead of the official launch. Orders are live now through Tesla's online configurator, with units shipping from Gigafactory Shanghai. The pricing below includes local taxes:
| Model | Variant | Price (USD) | Range (WLTP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3 | Rear-Wheel Drive | $32,990 | 534 km |
| Model 3 | Long Range RWD | $37,990 | 750 km |
| Model 3 | Performance AWD | $49,990 | 571 km |
| Model Y | Rear-Wheel Drive | $36,490 | 466 km |
| Model Y | Long Range RWD | $41,490 | 661 km |
Estimated delivery windows for orders placed now: Model Y in October–November 2026, Model 3 in November–December 2026.
Why Uruguay Is a Smarter Beachhead Than It Looks
Uruguay doesn't have the population of Brazil or Argentina, but it punches well above its weight as an EV market. According to reporting from evwire.com and mobilityportal.eu, EVs captured over 20% of new vehicle sales in Uruguay in 2025, climbing to 29% by April 2026 — figures that rival leading European markets. The country's grid ran on 99% renewable energy in 2024, which means Tesla owners there will charge on some of the cleanest electricity anywhere in the world.
Government tax incentives for EVs are already in place, and Uruguay's compact geography — with the bulk of the population concentrated around Montevideo — makes the initial Supercharger buildout more manageable than in larger neighbors. According to background research, Tesla plans to prioritize routes connecting Montevideo to Punta del Este and the Argentine border, with comprehensive Supercharger coverage expected within 12–18 months.
One Manager, Two Markets
Tesla appointed Joaquín Lizarralde as country manager for both Argentina and Uruguay in late June 2026, treating the two as a single operational zone. That's a telling organizational choice: it signals that Tesla views the Río de la Plata region as one integrated market rather than two separate rollouts. Argentina, where Tesla has been building presence, provides a natural logistics and operational backbone for the smaller Uruguayan market next door.
South America Footprint: Where Things Stand
Uruguay is Tesla's third direct-sales country on the continent, following Chile (2024) and Colombia (November 2025). Brazil — by far the largest market — remains conspicuously absent from Tesla's direct-sales map, though the company has operated service infrastructure there for years. The Uruguay launch, combined with the shared Argentina/Uruguay management structure, suggests Tesla is methodically filling in the southern cone before tackling the regulatory and tax complexity of Brazil head-on.
For now, Uruguayan buyers face delivery waits of three to five months — not unusual for a new market launch where initial allocations are being built to order in Shanghai. The more pressing question is how quickly the Supercharger network materializes. Uruguay's high EV adoption rate means buyers are already accustomed to home charging and third-party infrastructure; Tesla's differentiation will depend on how fast it can make long-distance travel genuinely seamless.
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Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @TeslaNewswire on X (2026-07-26T07:29:37.000Z) — Direct source
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