Tesla looks to reset strategy amid sluggish India sales
bbc.com
bbc.com
- Many roads there are unfit for a low-profile large sedan like a Tesla: too many potholes, uneven and high-height speed bumps, narrow roads and alleys, flooding during monsoons etc. Unless you own one just to show-off and not actually drive it, I expect Teslas there to not last very long.
- In addition to a severe lack of charging stations (<1000 across the entire country - which is nowhere near enough for a population of 1.5 billion), most homes do not even have a stable and quality power supply: lengthy power cuts (especially during summer) is pretty common, and so is disruption due to power theft, overloading etc. You really don't want to charge your very expensive EV with poor quality power.
- Also, most folks live in apartments, so unless the apartment has EV charging infrastructure (basically non-existent right now), dedicated charging stations are the only option. And given the perpetually heavy traffic, driving to a charging station may not be convenient unless you happen to live close to one, or it is enroute to your regular commute.
- Thanks to the insane import duties and taxes, Teslas would be priced in "full-blown luxury car" territory. At that price bracket people will just go for a BMW/Merc/Audi etc. which are easier to fuel, service, resell - and no charging headaches.
- Service and repairs would be a nightmare. Even if Tesla opens a few service centres in big metros, most of the country will still be far away from any official support. Any medium crash or sensor issue could mean flatbed towing to another city, long waiting times for imported parts, and bills that make you question your life choices.
- It makes more sense to buy local EVs anyway. If you really want an EV, local companies like Tata/Mahindra/MG and others already sell cheaper EVs, have higher ground clearance, and can be serviced almost anywhere.
- The big draw of Teslas is the autopilot/driving assist features, but they rely on clear lane markings and predictable behavior. However, that country's traffic culture is more like: no lanes, people (especially two-wheelers and "autos") driving on the wrong side (in fact they come at you in all directions), pedestrians everywhere, cows, random parked vehicles, people cutting across constantly (including beggars and street sellers). No one obeys the traffic rules, it's complete and utter chaos. I'd imagine even the best AI systems would struggle to deal with this chaos.
- The "connected car" angle is wasted as well. Teslas assume constant good connectivity for navigation, streaming, updates etc. Whereas in that country you still have plenty of patchy/overloaded coverage on highways and semi-urban areas, and poor Internet speeds in general. Not a dealbreaker, but it devalues the always-online experience Teslas are built around, and I'd imagine it'd result in a lot of frustration.
- Size and parking will be a daily headache. A Model 3/Y is a pretty big car by that country's standards. Most apartment parking ramps and basements are tight and badly designed, street parking is chaos, and dings/scratches are basically guaranteed.
- Climate and traffic patterns don’t help range or longevity. EVs hate extreme heat + stop-go congestion + full-time AC: and that’s just daily life in many cities there. Real-world range will be noticeably lower than the brochure numbers, with the car's cooling system working overtime.
TL;DR: It makes zero sense to own a Tesla there, or any imported sedan-style EVs for that matter. And if you're super rich and really keen on owning a car just for show, you'd just buy one of the luxury brands.
This made me chuckle as it is 100% on the money. Whenever my wife and I come here we rent a car and she is just completely amazed that I calmly navigate the plethora of hazards that make up the Indian roads. Literally, nothing is predictable about traffic here. Monkeys, cows, dogs, cats, people selling stuff, people asking for stuff, tractors on motorways, horse drawn carts on motorways, tuk tuks, scootys which have been modded to have three wheels, trucks that are so overloaded they take two lanes, small vans which have been vertically lengthened to make them into some weird ass quasi truck, bicycles, traffic lights tha don’t work, traffic lights that do work but are facing the wrong way, traffic lights which work but are covered in so much dust you couldn’t even see their current state and this isn’t even half of what you have to regularly navigate. I think any self driving car would just burn out its processor within seconds of leaving the showroom floor.