Can Tesla break the GM-Ford India jinx with its Model Y?

New Indian Express

8 hours ago

MUMBAI: After two of its predecessors—General Motors and Ford—failed to make a dent in the Indian market, not once but twice, a third American auto major—Tesla—is trying its luck. The only difference is that the world's richest man Elon Musk's auto venture is testing the electric mobility space and not the traditional ICE engine space.
Yes, after years of blowing hot and cold, Tesla has formally entered the country with a single model—the Model Y—that too with just one entry variant, which claims to be the world's best selling car and not just an electric car.
The moot question is that at a price of Rs 60 lakh for an entry model, why should somebody go for a Model Y when at the similar price range they have other choices from German majors Merc and BMW with better features as well? The price is Rs 59.89 lakh for the standard rear wheel drive which will be available sometime this quarter offering 500 km range, while the long-range rear wheel drive at Rs 67.89 lakh with a 622 km range will be available in the December quarter—both prices ex-showroom, Mumbai)
It may be noted that General Motors made two attempts to make it big here—first in the late 1940s selling CBUs and then in the mid-1990s when they set up a plant in the country. But both attempts failed and the company quit India in the first decade of 2000. Similar was the fate of Ford, which also made huge investments in its Chennai plant in its second attempt but failed to make a mark here despite having some successful models like the Endeavour, Ecosport and Ikon.
Whether Tesla will succeed or will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, only time will tell. But unless it acts on the model choices and the price front, Musk has nothing much to offer as of now barring the storied name.
Tesla's first car here will compete against the likes of entry-level EVs sold by German luxury automakers such as BMW and Mercedes. The Model Y variant comes with a 60 kWh and a larger 75 kWh battery pack here. The 60 kWh battery claims to deliver a WLTP range of 500 km on a single charge, while the long range variant claims 622 km.
India prices are significantly higher than in other markets as prices for the Model Y start at Rs 38.6 lakh ($44,990) in the US, Rs 30.5 lakh in China (263,500 yuan) and Rs 46 lakh in Germany (€45,970). The higher prices here are attributed to import duties and logistics costs.
Elisa Fan, who heads the company's Asia business excluding China, refused to say from where the two models on display on Tuesday at the first experience centre opened here were shipped in or from where the cars will be shipped for sale here. To both the questions, she had a terse answer: 'I am not going to answer that.' In fact she did not take any questions at all from the media after her presentation.