The Tesla X is just round the corner – you won’t hear it coming – but the silent-running Tesla S is creating massive noise in China. If you want to make a statement in the fast-growing economy, then you do it quietly.
But manufacturers know that there’s far more to a happy customer than simply delivering a car. There is no one more vociferous than a new car owner who can’t enjoy his or her vehicle because something on the car has failed, and the replacement parts haven’t arrived.
But generally speaking, if you don’t hear anything from a customer, then everything is running fine. The best approach to silencing critics in any market is to be, well, invisible.
Tesla wanted its Chinese aftermarket process to operate silently and invisibly. But where should it start? Oxford, England, of course. While based in the university city, Unipart has actually been operating in China since 2008. That may not seem long – until you consider just how it’s going to go about setting up there. Five years is a business dynasty.
Tesla announced it would commence delivering cars to Chinese customers in mid-2015, but the aftermarket supply chain building process started in 2013 when it appointed Unipart to create a scaleable system. Unipart’s experience working in China was priceless.
The Tesla Aftermarket supply chain now links Fremont in California with Suzhou in China, and the resource is quietly accelerating through the next stages of development as Tesla grows into the market.
Tesla’s light-bulb moment in teaming up with Unipart has proven seamlessly powerful.
To find out more about Unipart’s EV supply chain services, click here.