Jamaican automobile dealer Kemar Brimm is all revved up in excitement, having imported a special-order 2024 Telsa Cybertruck just three weeks ago to the island for one of his customers.
“The public’s reaction has been amazing. The waves it has created is immense,” Brimm shared with Loop Lifestyle of being the first importer of the vehicle.
“While transporting the unit from the port to our location on Deanery Road, we had persons stopping the unit for pictures and pedestrians created a lot of excitement having seen it for the first time,” he said.
The stainless steel, all-wheel drive electric Tesla, which is a 600-horsepower model, has an estimated 340 miles of range and a top speed of 112 miles per hour.
A look inside.
The latest Cybertruck, which resembles the imaginings of the science fiction world of transport of the future captured in films and television shows, is, in fact, much in-demand among automobile enthusiasts, and, according to Brimm, “the unit [shipped to Jamaica] is very hard to acquire and is currently on back order until 2025.”
And, what’s the going price tag?
“It ranges from US$85,000 upwards, but due to unavailability, the prices can run anywhere upwards of US$120,000,” the auto dealer disclosed.
Brimm, proprietor of the seven-year-old used car dealership AutoBrimm Imports Limited, explained that his customer’s interest in acquiring the Tesla truck was on the basis of its multi-faceted features.
“It has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds. The unit, which was imported on July 23, gives the client the robustness and usability of a pick-up and the speed and luxury of an SUV. All whilst conserving on the cost of gas and preserving the environment with the electrical setup,” he told Loop Lifestyle.
Asked about the viability for more importations of the electric vehicle (EV) Cybertrucks, Brimm expressed confidence that there could be demand.
“There is a market for EVs in Jamaica, in general, it’s a J$9-billion market that is continuously growing. I do foresee more orders for both Tesla and EVs specifically, as we are currently in discussions with a client to import another unit of similar build and we are hoping to tie that up in the upcoming weeks,” said Brimm.
Another view of the cybertruck that arrived in Jamaica three weeks ago.
Besides the hot commodity Tesla vehicles, Brimm’s dealership stocks an array of buys from budget conscious Honda Fit cars to pricier BMW and Audi vehicles, and sells between five to 10 vehicles each month.
An additional component of the business is offering “an importation service where we special order units on our customers behalf, which allows them to choose and/or customise their units. That process can range anywhere between one week to three months, depending on the importation country.”
The dealership also boasts a clientele who utilise Brimm’s as consignee to import vehicles for their commercial entities such as car rentals, distributors and construction companies.
Is the current state of Jamaican auto market as hot as the sweltering summer temperature?
“The market fluctuates as according to the external conditions affecting us and our ability to provide our customers with reasonable deals,” was Brimm’s assessment.
“We are approaching the slowest season of business now, as our customers prepare for back to school and upcoming school expenses. Usually, we see an uptick in sales between November and December, I am assuming it’s because most companies offer a bonus at that time of the year and persons are less frugal and more willing to treat themselves,” he said.
