CEO Elon Musk said Tesla would be coming to India several times last year, after years of pleas from Tesla fans in the second most populous country in the world.
That day is closer now than it ever was before as the automaker has officially been incorporated in Karnataka, India.
The discovery was made by none other than Tesla Club India. The automaker incorporated under the name “TESLA INDIA MOTORS AND ENERGY PRIVATE LIMITED “on January 8, 2021.
https://twitter.com/TeslaClubIN/status/1348977284594634755
As noted by Tesla Club India, the company registered three directors. The first is David Jon Feinstein, who is currently Global Senior Director at the automaker. The second is Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s Chief Accounting Officer.
The third director does not appear to have any official ties to Tesla until the incorporation, but is associated with two other companies in India, including “Xenon Automotive India.”
According to the filing, Tesla’s address is listed as being on the 14th floor of an upscale building in the heart of Bangalore, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka.
Recent reports have indicated Tesla would open up orders in India this month, with the first deliveries starting at the end of the first quarter of 2021.
The Model 3 will reportedly be priced at INR 55-60 lakh, which converts to about $96,000-$104,000 CAD. While the report didn’t specify which variant that is, we are assuming it to be the Standard Range Plus (SR+), which sells for half that amount in Canada, $52,990. Musk has said previously high import taxes almost double the price of their vehicles in the country.
I’m told import duties are extremely high (up to 100%), even for electric cars. This would make our cars unaffordable.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2019