Union Minister Gadkari revealed Tesla will commence sales in India next year, and will evaluate local assembly or manufacturing based on market response.
Tesla’s long-awaited India entry is now not too far away with Nitin Gadkari – Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways – confirming the company is set to commence its India operations in 2021.
Tesla is finally coming to India with their electric cars. If things go well, there will be a lot of electric cars on the streets very soon. But, how much do we know so far?
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, on December 28, said that the electric car manufacturer would be arriving in India ‘early’ in 2021. However, the company will first start with sales and then look assembly if the demand requires it.
Tesla and India have had a few go arounds already. Back in 2016, bookings for the Tesla Model 3 had begun, but citi8ng infrastructure issues, everything fell apart. The Model 3 sedan will still be the first car to enter India and this will be done through the completely built unit (CBU) route. This however does mean higher import costs, but if the company uses the 2,500 unit limited import, prices could be slashed significantly. This will mean a price difference of Rs 55-60 lakh at full cost and Rs 35-40 lakh under the limited import route.
The Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable car in the company’s lineup. Internationally, the EV is fitted with a range of powertrain options. While the base model churns out 283 PS and 450 Nm and achieves a 0-100 sprint in 5.5 seconds, the top-spec Model 3 is capable of 450 PS and 639 Nm with a sprint pegged at 3.3 seconds. Both models also get different top speeds and ranges.
While Tesla is yet to figure out their production plans, assembly lines will be set up in India soon. The company has already been in talks with various states in the country such as Karnataka for a research facility in Bengaluru. The Maharashtra government, too, sought to entice Tesla into the state a short while after Musk’s tweet of entering India.
The adoption of electric vehicles is surely picking up in India, but it won’t mean much without a charging infrastructure. Aside from this, there is still the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the country that tends to outdo even LPG/CNG vehicles.
Bookings for the Tesla Model 3 are expected to resume in the coming weeks with the first cars being delivered sometime in the first quarter of 2021-22.
