According to ETAuto, the renowned American electric carmaker Tesla is all set to kick-off its Indian journey in 2021. The brand could commence Tesla Model 3's booking in India from the next month. Deliveries, however, are estimated to start post after the first quarter (January-March) of 2021.
According to the reports, Tesla will not setup its dealers’ base in India and will sell its products directly from its digital platforms. In fact, the brand also follows the same retail strategy in other markets too. We believe its order configurator for India will be online by January 2021.
It is important to note that it’s not the first time when we are hearing about Tesla's entry into the Indian market. Back in 2016, Elon Musk, CEO & product architect of Tesla, had revealed the company's plan to enter our country, and a ray of hope came when the brand had also commenced Model 3's bookings. But the plan was dropped later due to the tough government regulations & unfavorable tax structures. Then in October 2020, Elon Musk again confirmed Tesla’s India entry in 2021 via a tweet. Later, the brand was in talks with Karnataka, Kerala & Maharashtra government to set up an R&D center in India.
About Tesla Inc. & Model 3
Tesla Inc. is an American electric car manufacturer, founded in July 2003. Currently, there are four models in Tesla's global line-up – Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y. According to the company’s Q3 2020 results, the Model Y and Model 3 estimated for 89% of the total Tesla sales in the third quarter of 2020.
Talking about Model 3, it is the most affordable Tesla car, which is priced at $39,990 (approximately Rs 29.45 lakh) for the base model. Globally, this electric sedan is offered in four different variants: Standard Range (RWD – rear-wheel-drive), Standard Range Plus (RWD), Long Range (AWD – all-wheel-drive), and Long-Range Performance (AWD). The battery pack ranges from 50kWh to 75kWh. It delivers a claimed range of 381km to 580km (as per WLTP) on a single charge, depending on the variant, and can sprint from standstill to 100kmph in just 5.3 seconds. Model 3 also features Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving function, which is standard across Tesla's model line-up.
The Tesla Model 3 will come to our shore via the CBU route, which means its pricing will not be as par with its American-spec version. And so, its prices are expected to starts around Rs 55-60 lakh.