The long wait could finally be over for Tesla fans in India as CEO Elon Musk says the company will launch into the market next year.
Responding to a tweet from Tesla Club India asking for an update on the company’s expansion plans, Musk said “Next year for sure.”
Next year for sure
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2020
The news has been a long time coming for hopeful Tesla owners in the country. In 2018 Musk confirmed his company’s desire to have an official presence in India, saying “challenging government regulations” were the reason for the delay.
Musk reiterated this point a year later, saying the electric vehicles would be unaffordable due to high import duties.
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
Tesla’s possible expansion into India comes at a time when the government appears to have a renewed focus on electric vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We recently reported on plans being considered to install EV charging stations at 69,000 gas stations across the country.
The automaker is also reportedly in talks to open up a research center in India.
