Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, recently confirmed Tesla will start its Indian operations in 2021. The first model from the American carmaker will be the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan that’s reported to hit roads by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2021-22. Pre-bookings for the vehicle will commence in January, 2021. Here’re all details related to the Tesla Model 3 bookings and the company’s dealership, sales and service network.
Tesla India Dealerships, Sales & Service
Tesla will begin setting up its own dealerships and sales network in early 2021. Its dealer network will also be responsible for the after sales and service support. The company will also consider establishing local assembly and manufacturing plate, but at a later stage (based on the market response).
Tesla Online Order Configurator
In January 2021, the American carmaker will introduce an online car configurator enabling customers to design and customize their Teslas. Buyers will also be able to pre-book the Tesla Model 3 online by paying a token amount, which is yet to be announced. Read – 12 Cool Features That Make Tesla Cybertruck A Super Truck
Tesla Local Assembly Plans
Initially, Tesla cars will be imported to India via CBU (Completely Built Up) route from the company’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, China. Gadkari said that India has potential to become the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturing hub in the next five years. Arrival of Tesla cars will surely be a big step in this direction. Local manufacturing will help the carmakers price their vehicles quite aggressively. At present, Tesla is in the talks with Government of Karnataka to set up a R&D Centre in Bengaluru.
Tesla Model 3 Details
Globally, the Model 3 is offered with single and dual-motor options. The entry-level Standard Range and Standard Range Plus RWD offer a range of 423km and can do 0 to 100kmph in just 6 seconds. The dual-motor variants include Long Range AWD and Long Range Performance AWD capable to achieve 0 to 100kmph in 4.5 seconds and over 3 seconds respectively. The former has an electric range of around 568km.
