While negotiations continue to lower import duties on electric vehicles (EVs), Tesla is one step closer to launching in India. The automaker received approval earlier this week to import four models into the country.
According to information posted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website, four Tesla vehicles have passed homologation through the Automotive Research Association of India.
Homologation is the process of certifying that a particular vehicle is roadworthy and matches certain specified criteria laid out by the government for all vehicles made or imported into that country, the government states on its website.
https://twitter.com/TeslaClubIN/status/1432340947044495365
As noted by the Tesla Club India Twitter account, the information does not specify which models the approvals are for. Considering both the Model 3 and Model Y have been spotted testing in the country in the past few months, they are likely to be the vehicles that passed the testing.
Tesla has been lobbying the Indian government for several months to lower their import taxes on EVs, which Musk says are the highest in the world, by far. One proposal seeks the import tax rate to be reduced from 100% down to 60% for EVs over $100,000. For EVs priced below $40,000 they are seeking a reduction from 60% down to 40%.
The government appears to be warming up to the idea, recently saying they would like more information from Elon Musk on how Tesla plans to do business in the country before committing to any tax cuts.
