Tesla Model 3 electric car spied testing in India ahead of official launch

Tesla is working hard on entering the Indian market segment. It was earlier reported that the manufacturer had imported three Model 3 cars into India for testing purposes. Will use these cars for Automotive Research of India or ARAI approval and other compliances. Now, one of the three Model 3s has been spotted in Pune. The vehicle was painted blue with a red number plate. The pictures have been uploaded to Instagram by @carcrazy.india.

Tesla's Model 3 is the company's most affordable automobile right now. In the foreign market, the Tesla Model 3 comes in three different versions. Plus, Long Range and Performance are the three standard models. Standard Range Plus, the standard model, has a range of 423 kilometers, a max speed of 225 kilometers per hour, and can reach a tonne in 5.3 seconds. The long-range mid-model has 568 kilometers, a max speed of 233 kilometers per hour, and can get a tonne in just 4.2 seconds. 

Then there's a performance for people who are thinking about switching to an electric vehicle. The Performance model has a top speed of 260 kilometers per hour, a time of 3.1 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour, and a range of 506 kilometers. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE, and Audi A4 will fight against the Tesla Model 3.

It is not yet known which variants Tesla will bring to India. However, we can expect that Tesla will get the Model 3 to India via the CBU or fully built unit route, not just to build them here. This means that the price tag of the Model 3 will be much higher.

We can expect the Tesla Model 3 to be priced around Rs. 60 lakhs. However, once Tesla moves to import CKD, a complete knock-down unit, the price may come down. If they start manufacturing the Model 3 in India itself, the price could drop even more drastically.

The Model 3's design looks very futuristic and minimalist. When you step inside the cabin, you will notice that there is nothing to distract the driver. The dashboard has a single touchscreen which is very large and is mounted horizontally. You control all the functions of the car through this touchscreen. Even if you want to adjust the airflow from the air conditioning vents, you'll have to do so via the touchscreen.

Tesla has registered itself in the name of Tesla India Motors & Energy Private Limited in Karnataka. They have established their headquarters in Bangalore. In addition, the manufacturer will open showrooms in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru. Tesla has hired many well-known people. They have appointed Nishant Nishant as their charging manager. Nishant has worked with Ather Energy, a renowned Indian electric scooter company. In addition, they have appointed Chithra Thomas as Human Resource Executive. Chithra has previously worked with Walmart. Currently, there are six Tesla members, including Samir Jain, Manuj Khurana, Vaibhav Taneja, and Nitika Chhabra. Reports say that the team is expected to expand in the coming months.