Electric vehicle enthusiasts in India have been waiting for Tesla to launch in the country for quite some time now. One such enthusiastic person had even asked the question on the launch plans to Elon Musk on Twitter. To which, Musk had replied saying, “We want to do so, but import duties are the highest in the world by far of any large country! Moreover, clean energy vehicles are treated the same as diesel or petrol, which does not seem entirely consistent with the climate goals of India."
While the import duty war between Elon Musk and the Indian government continues, two Model 3 electric vehicles have been spotted on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This is being seen as a piece of happy news by the people waiting for the car and ignited fresh hope for its arrival. The festive season is around the corner and many are expecting the launch to be scheduled during this time.
The pictures of these cars were also posted on the unofficial Tesla Club India handle on Tuesday. One can make out that it has two camouflaged Model 3 test vehicles.
"Two Camouflaged Model 3 Test Units. One with testing apparatus as earlier seen also. 337 seems to be new. Is Ground Clearance raised in it or just image thing?" it said in a tweet.
"Location is Parking lot near Starbucks on Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Potential Supercharger location," it claimed.
Two Camouflaged Model 3 Test Units. One with testing apparatus as earlier seen also.
— Tesla Club India® (@TeslaClubIN) August 17, 2021
337 seems to be new. Is Ground Clearance raised in it or just image thing?
📸 : IG wheelsofautomotive0105 #TeslaIndia🇮🇳 #TCIN pic.twitter.com/QRtiEJ8kRH
This is not the first time that a Tesla model has been spotted in the area. Earlier a Blue Tesla Model 3 was earlier spotted on the streets in Pune (brought from its Gigafactory in Shanghai, China).
Tesla had announced its entry into the Indian markets and registered its company on January 8 this year. According to reports in April, Tesla had zeroed in on Mumbai’s posh locality to set up its first India office including a retail outlet and the first showroom cum office space in Mumbai’s Lower Parel-Worli business district.
While Tesla has already registered its office in Bengaluru, the ops will start from Mumbai. It is expected that the company will have showrooms in all Tier 1 markets of India including Delhi and Bengaluru.
The Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla and it is likely that it will be the first Tesla to launch in India. Tesla’s global product lineup consists of the Model S sedan, the Model X SUV, Model 3 compact model and the Model Y compact crossover.
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