Elon Musk's Tesla Launches EV Car with ‘Y’ Model in India

The EV automobile manufacturer has entered the world’s third-largest market by opening a space in Mumbai, with the ‘Y’ model open for public bookings.

Elon Musk-led Tesla entered the Indian automotive market recently, launching the Model Y as its introductory electric car in the market. The Model Y is Tesla’s first compact cross-over electric SUV, which is now available at a price starting from Rs 59.89 lakh (ex-showroom price). Beyond the car design and appeal, Tesla cars are known for its cutting-edge automotive technology such as its ‘Autopilot’ features and ‘Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised’ as well as other unique features such as Bioweapon defence mode.

The global giant entered the third-largest automobile market space globally on July 15, when it opened its first showroom in Mumbai, India, reportedly bringing in US $1 million worth of vehicles, car accessories and supplies. As of now, the Tesla Model Y is the only car that is currently up for sale in the country.

This introductory model will have two variants to choose from –

Standard Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) – INR 59.89 lakhs
Long Range Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) – INR 67.89 lakhs

However, it is interesting to note that the standard variant in Tesla’s home country United States is being sold at approx. $37,490 (roughly INR 32 lakhs). The hefty price tag in India is likely due to the heavy import duties, as the car comes through as a complete Built Up (CBU) unit.
The standard model of the Model Y has a claimed range of up to 500 kms and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds.
In contrast, the Long-Range version states a claimed range of 622 kilometres and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 5.6 seconds only.
Both the variants have a top speed of 201 kph, according to Tesla’s official website information.

The USP of Tesla as an automobile manufacturer is the emphasis they lay on their automotive technology – which primarily includes the Autopilot feature and Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised mode. The tech mogul Elon Musk owned EV company had been consistently making efforts since recent months to make their foray into India and post the multiple rounds of approvals and license procurements, the grand launch was organized in Mumbai, which saw the attendance of Maharashtra’s CM Devendra Fadnavis too.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular tech-driven features that come with the Model Y.

Tesla’s Autopilot Feature:

Since its launch in 2014, Tesla has continuously improved its autopilot technology. Autopilot in the Tesla Model Y is a suite of features designed to make driving easier.

It includes Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which automatically adjusts the car’s speed to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead, and Autosteer, which not only maintains speed and follows distance while steering but also intelligently centres the car within its lane.

The FSD Supervision

This feature in Model Y is designed to reduce driver workload – Auto Lane Change, allowing the Model Y to move into an adjacent lane when the turn signal is activated with Autosteer engaged. Navigating on Autopilot takes this a step further, actively guiding the car from a highway on-ramp to an off-ramp, handling lane changes, interchanges, and even automatically engaging the turn signal for exits.

Full Self-Driving (Supervised) aims to drive the Model Y to the destination by navigating curves, intersections, stop signs, and roundabouts, making turns, and handling highway entry and exit. It also provides convenient parking and summoning features. The Full self-driving (supervised) is the only feature that is optional to the Model Y in India. This feature, which is available in some foreign countries, has an additional cost of INR 6 lakhs.

Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control

This additional feature enhances Autopilot by enabling to slow down and stop for traffic lights and stop signs while maintaining your speed, following distance, and lane position. Tesla vehicles are equipped with eight external cameras and powerful vision processing technology, providing an added layer of safety as per the Tesla owner manual of the model Y.

Bioweapon Defence mode:

Another spectacular feature added in Tesla’s Model Y model is the incorporation of Modern air filtration technology to shield the vehicle from a variety of air contaminants – like smoke, exhaust fumes, allergies, airborne pathogens, and other potentially dangerous particles. A High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter is used in this feature, which helps to filter out the harmful particles and circulate only clean air within the car.

Tesla App:

The mobile app’s home screen offers a range of convenient controls: You can remotely lock or unlock your vehicle, manage the cabin climate by enabling or disabling the heating or air conditioning, and monitor your vehicle’s charging status, with details also appearing when a charging cable is connected. You can also view your vehicle’s current location and estimated range, open the front trunk, and access important vehicle information like the odometer, music and current software version.

Tesla plans to install and operate four V4 Supercharger stations in Mumbai – Lower Parel, Bandra Kurla, Navi Mumbai, and Thane. Each station will have four charging points, and similar set of stations will also be established in Delhi-NCR at Aerocity, Saket, Gurugram, and Noida.