Tesla Gets Orders For 600 EVs In India

SUMMARY

The EV giant has received orders for 600 EVs, which is an underwhelming response for Tesla

The Elon Musk-led Tesla plans to ship 350-500 cars to India this year, with its first batch expected to arrive in the initial days of September

Ahead of the start of its EV deliveries, Tesla is mulling strengthening its EV charging infrastructure in the country by setting up supercharging stations

Automotive giant Tesla’s India debut has been underwhelming, with the company reportedly receiving orders for 600 electric cars since it opened sales in the country on July 15.

Citing sources, Bloomberg reported that the number is much lower than Tesla’s expectation.

The EV giant plans to ship 350-500 cars to India this year. The first batch is expected to arrive from Shanghai in early September. The report said that the deliveries will be limited to Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Gurugram initially.

Inc42 has sent a questionnaire to Tesla on the development. The story will be updated on receiving a response.

Ahead of the start of its EV deliveries, Tesla is mulling strengthening its EV charging infrastructure in the country by setting up supercharging stations across key Delhi NCR hubs, starting with Gurugram, in the coming weeks.

Earlier, the company opened its first charging station in India in Mumbai. Now, it plans to open more stations in Mumbai, and aims to expand to Bengaluru in the future.

To facilitate repairs and customer service, Tesla has leased a 33,000 sq ft retail and service space on Sohna Road, Gurugram, at INR 40 Lakh per month for nine years.

Can Tesla Crack The Indian Market?

Tesla had been trying to enter the Indian market since 2021. However, the Elon Musk-led company delayed its entry citing India’s high import duties.

Last year, the Centre approved a scheme allowing global companies to pay lower duty on imports of electric four-wheelers (E4Ws) if they commit to invest INR 4,150 Cr (about $500 Mn) in India. However, Tesla did not show interest in manufacturing in India.

After a lot of to and fro, the company finally entered the Indian market in mid-July. The US-based automobile giant opened its maiden showroom in Mumbai on July 15 and inaugurated its second showroom in Delhi last month.

It is currently selling two models in India – Model Y RWD (rear wheel drive) at a price of INR 59.89 Lakh and Model Y Long Range RWD for INR 67.89 Lakh. Additionally, the company is selling its home charger at $420.

Notably, Tesla’s midsize SUV Model Y is priced at around $46K in the US (around INR 40 Lakh per car). However, the import duties in India puts Tesla’s car models in the luxury EV category, which has giants like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Tesla would have to compete in this highly competitive segment to increase its sales in the country. Besides, it would also have to address the charging worries by setting up its network of charging stations.