Elon Musk's Tesla is set to open its first showroom in India later today. Images show people lining in front of the store in Mumbai in the morning, ahead of its opening. Elon Musk has been long eyeing an entry into the world’s third largest car market, although electric vehicles make a very small portion of the overall market in India.
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Tesla has launched the Model Y in India at a starting price of Rs 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom). The car is available in rear wheel drive (RWD) version only. The automaker’s Model Y Long Range RWD will be available at Rs 67.89 lakh. The electric car will initially be available in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurugram. Its deliveries will start in the third quarter of the calendar year (CY) 2025. (Image: Model Y car in London, source: Reuters)
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Tesla's prices in India are significantly higher than what it charges in other nations. The Model Y RWD car which it will sell at Rs 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom) in India, is priced at HK $306,650 (Rs 33.54 lakh) in China. In US, it is priced at $37,490 (Rs 32.19 lakh).
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Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the showroom and met Tesla APAC team, ahead of the its opening. Police guarded the showroom, with the brand’s name etched in black against a stark white wall, where the car, draped in black and grey covers was partially visible on Tuesday through the glass in a gated office complex.
Speaking in front of the showroom, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "I expect Tesla to setup it's entire EV ecosystem in India, especially in Maharashtra. Maharashtra is the favourite location for EV manufacturing, we have favourable and dynamic policies for the same."
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Notably, Tesla will also offer Full Self-Driving (FSD), which needs to be supervised by the driver. It comes at an additional price from Rs 6 lakh. The model Y car can go from 0 to 100 km/h speed within just 5.9 seconds. It can reach a top speed of 201 km/h.
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Elon Musk-led Tesla has imported $1 million worth of cars and merchandise, marking its entry into the world's third-largest car market despite CEO Elon Musk's complaints about high import tariffs.
