Trouble Mounts as Tesla Takes Over Daikoku Pier After Selling 12,000+ Cars in Just Six Months

The unusual scene that appeared at Daikoku Pier

“First, shiny new Teslas kept being brought into the parking lot one after another. Then, large numbers of people who appeared to be customers arrived by bus and taxi, and they started completing the vehicle delivery procedures right there on the spot. In a public parking lot, no less! I’ve never seen anything like it.”

A parking lot staff member who witnessed Tesla’s mass vehicle deliveries at the Daikoku Sea Fishing Facility Parking Lot at Daikoku Pier in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on June 28 recalled the unusual scene with excitement. It was only natural that it was described as unprecedented—the deliveries had been carried out without permission from the City of Yokohama, which manages the parking lot. Automotive journalist Kumiko Kato explains:

“An official from the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama told me during my reporting that Tesla had neither consulted with the city beforehand nor submitted an application to use the facility. Occupying a large portion of a parking lot for purposes other than its intended use is an extremely malicious act that interferes with its use by the general public.

Tesla sold more than 12,000 vehicles in Japan in the first half of this year alone. That is roughly four times its sales in recent years. They likely needed a large parking area to handle the huge number of deliveries. I believe Daikoku Pier was chosen because there is a Tesla pre-delivery inspection facility nearby, making transportation easier. It appears that dozens of vehicles were delivered on that single day.”

Since the beginning of this year, government subsidies for vehicle purchases have increased. For Tokyo residents, combining the national subsidy with the Tokyo metropolitan government subsidy can provide up to ¥2.37 million per vehicle. Tesla has promoted Tokyo on its official website as the city where Teslas are the cheapest in the world. Additional incentives, such as three years of free charging, have further boosted sales, particularly in Tokyo.

However, Tesla has reportedly been unable to build up its delivery infrastructure quickly enough to keep pace with growing demand, leading to a series of delivery-related problems like the one described above. By July, deliveries themselves had begun to face serious delays. A Tokyo man in his 30s who purchased Tesla’s midsize sedan, the Model 3, expressed his frustration:

“It was originally scheduled to be delivered in mid-July, but now I’m being told that the delivery date is undetermined. My loan payments have already started, yet I have no idea when I’ll actually be able to drive the car. I can’t accept that.”

There are indications that sales may have been halted because the battery and motor installed in the vehicles differ from the model types listed on their vehicle registration certificates. Some buyers reportedly received notice on the 21st that deliveries would resume, but if the model types really are different, many deliveries could be pushed back until September or later.” — Kumiko Kato

Is Tesla’s turmoil only just beginning?

From the August 7 & 14, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”