Tesla India Motor & Energy, Tesla's Indian subsidiary, has applied for the homologation and certification of two of its EVs in India – the Tesla Model Y and the Model 3 – as per a report by IANS. This comes after the company recently finalised its first showroom location in Mumbai. Tesla is expected to start operations in India soon, beginning with fully imported EVs.
What is homologation?
Homologation is the process of certifying that a vehicle is roadworthy and meets the safety and emissions norms laid out for all vehicles manufactured in India or imported into the country. This is mandatory for all vehicles priced below 40,000 USD before they can be sold in the country.
Tesla Model Y
Base RWD model gets up 719km of range
In January, Tesla updated the Model Y with a mid-lifecycle facelift. It got new full-width LED light signatures at the front and rear, and was made more aero-efficient, too. On the inside, the Model Y’s rather minimalistic interior is dominated by a central 15.4-inch touchscreen, and the rear passengers also get an 8.0-inch touchscreen.
The Tesla Model Y is available in two variants: RWD and Long-Range AWD. The former has a claimed range of 719km, while the latter returns 662km on a single charge, both as per the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC). Tesla claims a 0-100kph sprint time of 4.3 seconds for the AWD car, while the single-motor RWD model does it in 5.9 seconds.
Tesla Model 3
Returns up to 584km on a single charge
Like the Model Y, the Model 3 sedan is also available in three variants: Long-Range RWD and Long-Range AWD and Performance. The rear-wheel-drive Model 3 has a claimed range of 584km and a 0-100kph sprint time of 4.9 seconds, while the all-wheel drive version returns 557km on a single charge and does 0-100 in 4.2 seconds. The Model 3 Performance variant with 510hp has a claimed 0-100kph time of just 2.9 seconds. The interior of the Model 3 is very similar to the Model Y with a 15.4-inch central infotainment screen and an 8.0-inch screen for the rear passengers.
Tesla India manufacturing plans
Tesla's India entry to be aided by reduced EV import taxes
The government plans to aid Tesla’s entry by introducing a new EV policy that will reduce the import duty to 15 percent from the current 100 percent. This reduced import duty will only be granted to carmakers who commit to local manufacturing in subsequent years. Tesla, however, hasn’t yet finalised any plans of manufacturing in the country.
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Viraaj Bhatnagar
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