Auto-Man Empire Eyes India: Tesla Cars To Hit The Market In 2019, In ‘CBU’ Mode

One of the world’s largest electric car makers and a pioneer in electric car technology across the world, Tesla Motors, will arrive in India next year.

Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the electric car maker plans to have “partial presence in India, Africa and South America by the end of next year, with broader expansion in 2020.”

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, had visited the Tesla plant in 2015 and during this visit, Musk shared with Modi the big developments being done by Tesla and its intent to enter India. Tesla attempted a foray into India in 2017, but the plan was put on the backburner as the company felt the policy environment was proving to be a hindrance for local production.

Tesla is likely to begin its India operations by bringing and selling electric cars as CBU (Completely Built Up) units.

In 2017, the then power minister, Piyush Goyal, presented an audacious vision that India was aspiring for 100 per cent EV sales by 2030. India later scaled down its ambition by announcing a more realistic target of turning 30 per cent of conventional car ownership electric by 2030.