Though Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has had his fair share of reservations about Indian policies, the automaker, however, now seems to be working towards the promised Summer launch window. Yes, there’s a possibility that Tesla may actually make its debut in the country sometime later in September if its current discussions with the government are fruitful.
The netizens of the country cannot wait for Musk to finally step foot into the country with the official release of the company’s mass-production Model 3 electric vehicle (which is on schedule for a launch the next month). Thus, they have continuously been directing questions about the said EV’s launch in India over on Twitter.
And last night, Musk responded to one such query positively stating that Tesla has initiated dialogue with the Indian government to score a temporary relief on import duty costs. This is extremely important for the automaker if it wants to stay competitive in India, a country where the populace is extremely price conscious.
In discussions with the government of India requesting temporary relief on import penalties/restrictions until a local factory is built
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 14, 2017
Presently, the Indian government is known to collect close to 100-120 percent import duty on fully built units, which are shipped into the country. If this applies on Tesla Model 3 then the retail cost of the electric vehicle will be driven way higher than expected. Thus, our government, who is currently also looking to drive an electric mobility revolution, should think on working closely with the worldwide poster boy for the same.
But, what’s even important to notice in the said tweet is the fact that Musk talks about eventually setting up one of Tesla’s massive Gigafactories in the country. He mentions that the company is looking for import duty exemptions only until the company sets up its own manufacturing facilities in the nation. And this could well be true because the chief executive has already his plans to build close to ten or twenty Gigafactories in the coming years — to lead the electric revolution.
This will surely please the Indian authorities who’ve been constantly trying to court Tesla as one of their prominent ‘Make in India’ partners for the past couple years. The automaker continued to give the country a cold-shoulder even after Tesla facility visits from our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. But, U.S President Trump’s stance on climate change and India’s ambitious plan to go fully electric by 2030 has pushed Musk to divert extensive focus on our country.
