Tesla to enter India sooner than expected as work on setting up supercharging stations have begun already
It is no secret that Tesla Motors has created a revelation in the global electric car industry and has a head-start over some of the mainstream conventional automakers. Since the widely touted introduction of the Model 3 last year, the American brand led by Elon Musk’s entry into India has been largely speculated. In reply to a Twitter query, he made it clear that Tesla is “hoping (to launch its products in India) for summer this year”
The highly anticipated Model 3 is a volume targeting affordable electric car and will carry a price of $35,000 (Rs. 23.45 lakh) in the US. Some high profile Indians like Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of PayTM, have paid an advance of $1,000 when Tesla opened worldwide bookings back in April 2016. In our market, customers are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of electric vehicles and has so far been an unchartered territory.
Also Read: Tesla Might Set Up Gigafactory in India Following Nevada Plant
Alongside making the Model 3 available for Indian buyers, Tesla will be putting efforts to build an infrastructure for its EVs in the country as preparation for pan-India supercharger network (helps in fast charging) is already underway as we can reveal. Our sources have confirmed that a startup company is driving this project with loads of overseas investment.
Besides the charge stations, a highway linking project has been agreed upon by Elon Musk and to render technical support for super chargers advertisements will be posted shortly. Covering the lengths and breadths of the nation, the charging outlets will help Tesla to reach out a big band of customers especially in non-metro regions.
Also Read: Prospective Indian Lining Up to buy Tesla Model 3; Bookings Rose to 2,32,000
Tesla’s concrete plans and market timeline has not been announced yet. But considering the emergence of India as a global phenomenon in the auto industry, Tesla will not be taking things lightly. Elon Musk convened with PM Narendra Modi and discussed about the possibilities of setting up manufacturing plants and that tells his tenaciousness over his vision for India.
The supercharger network operates in a way that it consists of multiple chargers in parallel to deliver direct current (DC) power directly to the battery. The Tesla models use their onboard charger to convert alternating current (AC) from a wall charger to DC that’s stored in the battery. As the battery nears full charge, the car’s onboard computer gradually reduces the current to the optimum level for topping off cells.
Also Read: Tesla Model 3 Sold Out For Full Production Year as Demands Increase
Tesla claims superchargers can provide range of up to 273 km after 30 minutes of charge in Model S. consumers can locate next charging station on Google Maps and charging percentage through a dedicated application.
Tesla could use India as a stepping stone for extending itself on to other countries in Asia. With the government’s flexible regulations and tax relaxations on EVs, Tesla is likely to take full advantage and could harbinger a breakthrough in electric mobility solutions here.