Elon Musk drives his Rs60-lakh Tesla Model Y into India

Elon Musk’s iconic electric vehicle brand Tesla on Tuesday formally made its entry into the Indian market with its first showroom in Mumbai’s bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) displaying its Model Y, which has a price tag of around Rs60 lakh.

Tesla also announced the start of bookings for the Model Y on its website, initiating the testing process of the Indian market, which is now crowded with a host of domestic and foreign EV brands that include China’s BYD, Indian brands like Tata and Mahindra as well as foreign car makers in India like Hyundai, Kia, MG Motor and new comer Vietnamese brand Vinfast.

Tesla’s new Model Y is a rear wheel drive SUV that boasts of a long-range battery, offering 622 km per charge, with a charging speed of up to 267 km in 15 minutes. 

The claimed acceleration for the Model Y is 0-100 km in 5.6 seconds. With a kerb weight of 1,901 kg, Model Y has an overall length of 4,790 mm – larger than any of the current Indian models. It has an overall width of 1,982m (with mirrors folded) and 2,129 mm (with extended mirrors). Overall height is 1,624 mm, with a road-hugging ground clearance of 167 mm and 19” tyres. It boasts of a huge cargo space of 2,138 litres. The cabin is equipped with a 15.4" centre touchscreen and an 8" rear touchscreen.

Tesla Model Y specifications include supercharging 250 kW max/payment type charge points.

Tesla offers a basic vehicle warranty of 4 years or 80,000 km, whichever is earlier and a battery and drive unit warranty of 8 years or 192,000 km, whichever is earlier.

Certain high-end models with high data usage features require standard connectivity, including maps, navigation and voice commands, according to Tesla. 

India, which has emerged as the third-largest automobile market in the world, in volume terms, also offers great potential for the luxury EV segment, as this currently accounts for only 4 per cent of the country’s total auto sales. 

Tesla plans to expand its sales network with showrooms in Delhi and other centres depending on the success of the Mumbai showroom.

While India’s car market is more or less price-sensitive, Tesla’s premium offerings could remain an upmarket product with limited market share. Its prospects hinge on the level of competition, geopolitical factors and potential trade agreements.