A single tweet by Elon Musk set countless hearts racing as the CEO offered a sneak peak at the cheapest model of Tesla Motors this week. The much-awaited Tesla Model S P100D is a 5-seater electric Sedan that will cost around $35,000 (within 50 lakhs) in India. The happy news is that the company is planning to launch the car in India soon. About 180,000 vehicles have already been pre-ordered and the company will start its production by the year-end.
If you completely missed the heat, here are answers to all your questions.
Expected Features of Model S P100D?
- A 4891-pound body that accelerates from 0 to 60mph (roughly 97km/hour) in just 2.27550 seconds.
- Adequate storage space at front and backside of the vehicle.
- Autopilot safety feature provides seamless steering to avoid collisions on road.
- Supercharging that recharges the car within a couple of minutes.
Will Tesla Model S P100D be Successful in India?
The sale of cars in India largely depends on price than vehicle specifications and eco-friendly technology. Car cost doesn’t just include its basic price but the price of fuel, as well. Surely, the driving and fuel cost of the new Tesla model is far less than an average petrol or diesel vehicle. Nevertheless, if you add to it the maintenance costs, then the prices will shoot as high as Rs 40 lakh, thus confining it to the elite section of buyers rather than sticking to the section of majority buyers in India.
However, subsidy-wise, Tesla is a clear winner because many state governments are pitching for electric vehicles to check global gas emission. The government of Karnataka and Delhi has already eliminated local taxes on electric cars and other governments are expected to follow in their footsteps. This marginal discount, plus the huge subsidy offered by the government will surely lure a major portion of consumers in India.
For Tesla to be successful in India, the government needs to develop proper infrastructure for car production and charging so that they can cut additional costs on export and fuel arrangement.
However, seeing that Indian customers are actively purchasing high-end models like Audi, BMW and Mercedes, Tesla seems much ‘safer’ and reasonably priced models, suitable for meandering Indian roads.
