Tesla Model Y Hits Indian Roads: First Deliveries Roll Out with Free Chargers
Hey folks, after years of hype and red tape, Tesla’s finally putting rubber to road in India with the Model Y. On September 29, just two months after kicking off with a Mumbai showroom, the EV giant started handing over keys to early buyers—mostly the rear-wheel drive version imported straight from their Shanghai Gigafactory. It’s a big deal for a market that’s been teasing Elon Musk since 2016, and with EVs still under 2% of sales here, this could nudge more folks toward going green.
The buzz started when Tesla India posted pics of the first handovers on X, shouting out new owners with a simple “Congrats!” No hard numbers on how many yet—Tesla’s keeping that close to the vest—but bookings topped around 600 units so far, with plans for 2,500 a year. Deliveries are kicking off in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Gurugram, and the long-range trim should join the party soon, likely in Q4.
Priced from Rs 59.89 lakh for the base RWD (about $69,000) up to Rs 67.89 lakh for the long-range, it’s steep thanks to that 70% import duty—no local build yet, despite earlier chatter. But hey, it packs a punch: up to 500 km range on the standard (WLTP), 622 km on the long-haul version, 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, and a top speed of 201 km/h. Plus, those over-the-air updates mean it gets better with time—over 250 features pushed in 2024 alone.
To sweeten the deal, every new owner scores a free Wall Connector for home charging, and Tesla’s fired up Superchargers at One BKC in Mumbai (four V4 DC and four AC spots) and Aerocity in Delhi (four DC, three AC). You can add up to 267 km in 15 minutes at peak, all trackable via the app. Book online for Rs 22,220, tack on Rs 50,000 for admin and service, and test drive at the experience centers.
This lands amid Tesla’s global sales dip, but India’s growth potential—festive season and all—could be the spark they need. First customer Siddharth Jain from Inox Group called it a dream come true on social, tagging Elon himself. As more showrooms pop up, expect the network to grow. Ready to zap past traffic in a Model Y, or holding out for local prices? Sound off below—we’re curious.