Tesla Model 3 is the carmaker’s first launch scheduled for India.
The American EV brand Tesla, as reported by us previously, had confirmed their entry into the Indian market, some time back. Telsa CEO Elon Musk had also revealed the details of Tesla India and its domestic plans. The Model 3 would reportedly be the first launch here. A unit of the car was recently spotted with red plates, in Pune. This could be a unit undergoing testing. ‘Tesla Club India’ in its Twitter post, mentioned that the Blue Tesla Model 3 spotted in Pune by Atharva Kawade, is a Long-Range Dual Motor Car.
Ahead of its launch, Tesla India is planning to open outlets in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Banglore. The booking and sales of Tesla cars would be initially done through their online platforms. The initial units are expected to be imported as CBUs from China, until the demand rises and the company is established enough to afford local assembling and manufacturing. Tesla has already proposed a plan for opening R&D center and battery manufacturing unit in India.
Model 3 is one of Tesla’s globally accepted models. It is expected to cost around INR 55-60 lakhs in India, when brought in via CBU. It could, however, be more affordable, costing around INR 35-40 lakhs, if brought in as CKD units. Once the local production starts, the rate of Model 3 would drop making it more acceptable among the cost-conscious EV buyers of our country.
Tesla Model 3 provides various battery options in the international market. The electric motor in the base variant produces 283hp and 450Nm and takes 5.5 seconds to reach 0-100km/h. It also offers a range of 350km per full charge and up to 210km/h top speed. Whereas the top trim offers an all-wheel-drive layout. The electric motor here churns out 450hp and 639Nm and has a battery range of 500kms. The model has a top speed of 261 km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in just 3.1 seconds. It takes 6-6.5 hours for normal full recharge and 30 minutes for recharging up to 80 percent via a fast charger.
Image Courtesy: Atharva Kawade
