Made-In-China Tesla Model Y Deliveries Commence Across India: In Pictures
The much-awaited debut of American electric car manufacturer Tesla in India happened earlier this year. Tesla launched its operations in India with the crossover Model Y. Before the launch, we had seen the Model 3, which is a much more affordable model from Tesla, being tested in India. The Model Y has now been officially launched, and deliveries of the Model Y have also started across India in full swing. The car sold in India is actually imported from China, and not Germany.
Images of customers taking delivery of their brand-new Tesla Model Y SUV have been shared by Tesla India on their X profile. Tesla currently has a dealership in Mumbai, and it seems like the images are from there. The images have been shared on the profile with the caption, “All smiles from new Model Y owners. Welcome to the Tesla family!”
Tesla has always been a highly anticipated brand in the Indian market. They officially registered their office in Bengaluru and then put their plans on hold while negotiating with the government on import duties. The government had asked Tesla to set up a manufacturing facility in India if they wanted any benefits. However, Tesla delayed their plans, which gave Indian brands the opportunity to build a space for themselves in the EV segment.
The Tesla Model Y was launched at a starting price of Rs 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom). The Model Y is currently positioned as a premium product. Coming to the details, the Model Y is available as an RWD vehicle with a single electric motor producing 299 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque. It draws power from a 60.5 kWh battery pack, which offers a claimed driving range of 500 km.
The Long Range variant uses a 75 kWh battery pack that generates 340 PS and 450 Nm of torque while offering a driving range of 622 km. If you compare these numbers with electric vehicles already on sale in the Indian market, you will realise that there are many options that perform better than the Tesla Model Y.
For example, the Mahindra BE6 and XEV 9E are some of the best examples in the Indian market that prove Indian manufacturers can actually offer better products than their competition. Mahindra EVs are offering several premium features that many customers were not even aware of.
Not just Mahindra, Tata is on a similar path. They recently launched their all-new electric SUV, the Harrier.ev, in the market. It became the first EV in the segment to offer a dual-motor or AWD setup. Even with all these features, Indian EVs are value-for-money products, as they are being offered at almost half the price of a Tesla. Also, many features available in Tesla cars internationally are missing in the Indian version.
As it is priced quite steeply, the Tesla Model Y is unlikely to attract many customers in the long run, as India is a price-sensitive market.