15 July 2025 After a prolonged period of will-they-won’t-they Tesla – the world’s second-largest EV maker and arguably the hottest EV brand in the world – has finally reached India. Tesla has entered as a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesla Inc. with its first showroom in Mumbai’s BKC. Here’s all you need to know about Tesla's debut in the country. At present, Tesla is only retailing the Model Y Contrary to speculation, Tesla has not in fact debuted with the Model 3 – currently the least expensive model in Tesla’s portfolio with a base price starting at $34,990 after Federal tax cuts (Rs 30 lakh). The Model Y is a more logical choice since it’s a more off-road friendly alternative to the Model 3. It shares the same platform as the Model 3, the Model Y offers higher ground clearance and can be purchased in RWD form only with an optional long-range version that’s more expensive. The standard RWD version comes-in at Rs 61.07 lakh while the latter will cost you Rs 67.9 lakh (on-road). The standard version comes with a range of 500km while the latter offers extended range of 622 km. Both come with a 15.4-inch touchscreen but the battery sizes differ with a 60 kWh pack and an optional 73 kWh pack for the long-range model. Top 10 Cars to look out for in 2025 Optional extras are going to cost you Teslas are pretty straightforward when it comes to optional extras, but they aren’t cheap. For the Model Y, Tesla’s India website offers a range of six paint schemes with all but one costing upwards of Rs 1 lakh. Only the “Stealth Grey” option comes included with the base price, as do the 19” crossflow alloy wheels which improve efficiency. However, should you opt for “Pearl White” or “Diamond Black” that’s another Rs 1 lakh. Opt for “Quicksilver” or Tesla’s flagship “Ultra Red” and you’re out of pocket by nearly Rs 2 lakh. Should you be optimistic enough to go for an all-white leather interior? That’s another Rs 95,000. It has full self-driving capabilities. But there’s a catch Tesla’s USP globally is its advanced autonomous driving technology dubbed “FSD” or Full Self-Driving. While the term is a misnomer, Tesla’s FSD is more advanced than Level 2 ADAS currently being offered by its competition in India. In fact, Tesla is the first brand to offer full self-driving capabilities. This means that unlike most luxury cars on Indian roads, the Tesla Model Y will be capable of navigating out of complex urban environments. It can even change lanes or overtake vehicles based on SatNav goals. It should be noted that Tesla mandates that the driver be present in the driver’s seat and be in control of the vehicle at all times The catch is that Tesla themselves have clarified that a lot of these features are pending approvals from the Indian government, with no clear timeline on when FSD will be greenlit. At present it’s an optional extra costing you Rs 6 lakh in addition to the on-road price of the model. Available in both the RWD and the AWD version, FSD has never operated in the sort of wild west driving conditions India offers. It may be able to navigate past a roundabout or a traffic signal in developed markets, but it remains to be seen just how effective, if at all, it can be in the Indian context. Is Tesla worth the hype in India? Tesla is bringing the Model Y via the CBU route, which arrives with a subsidised import duty of 70 per cent. At a time when the brand’s image has taken a severe hit across many European markets and in its home country of the US, the hype around Tesla in India remains unprecedented. But is it likely to last? With GST included, the Model Y’s base model will retail at Rs 61.07 lakh putting it directly in the crosshairs of cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which costs Rs 45 lakh but offers a battery as large as the one on the long-range Model Y. While its motor does not produce as much power or torque, it can fast-charge up to 80 per cent from a 150 kW fast charger. Then there’s the more expensive Kia EV9 which, at Rs 65.9 lakh, offers a sizable 84 kWh battery pack, more torque (605 Nm as compared to the Tesla’s 527 Nm) and only slightly less power (325 PS instead of 351). Where the Tesla excels is in offering storage space, which surpasses that of any rival including the Hyundai, the Kia and the BMW iX1. The Tesla offers a staggering 822 litres of storage space, along with an additional 116 litre frunk (front trunk). The BMW iX1 does cost considerably less at Rs 49 lakh. In terms of brand cache and autonomous driving ability, Tesla remains unbeatable. You can order one for Rs 22,000 An order for the Model Y can be placed on Tesla India’s website with a non-refundable deposit of Rs 22,000 followed by a payment of an additional Rs 3 lakh within seven days of having placed the order. Read more get smart stories