Should We Be As Excited About Tesla As The Twitterati Suggests?
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar
1 min read
Jun 20, 2017, 06:30 PM
Key Highlights
- There has been much anticipation around Teslas arrival into India
- Import duties in India will affect the prices of Tesla cars
- Twitterati react to Tesla's entry into India
All it takes for the automobile loving social media netizens in India to get fired up these days is any mention of Tesla's arrival. And if it comes from the company's founder Elon Musk, well then excitement reaches fever pitch! There has been much anticipation around Tesla's impending arrival into India - as we have been consistently reporting here on carandbike. Off late there is talk about how Tesla feels India's current taxation policy would not suit a profitable brand entry here. There are also some murmurs about how there could be an agreement between the government and Tesla on certain incentives to encourage the American electric car company to set up some operations in India. Now all along I thought I was being a bit unfair - buying into all this perceived excitement over products that are niche and premium - for no real reason.
The government has also set India a rather ambitious target of having only electric cars on our roads by 2030
Now I thought that was very surprising, despite knowing how much hype surrounds the brand. And so put out an additional tweet saying how surprised I was that most people are voting for a car brand that they would probably never buy or could even afford. The government has also set India a rather ambitious target of having only electric cars on our roads by 2030.
From there to here, now Tesla is exciting." Many replies echoed one sentiment in particular - "Eventually will be (affordable) hopefully! That's the future, and greener, hence I voted for Tesla." as Harshad said. And George further said, "We still aspire to drive green one day. What if they decide to locally manufacture the Model3 and let us lease it?" Sure there were also many who said Tesla would be impractical, expensive, and also commented on how India lacks any charging infrastructure that electric cars need. Many also talked about how the government needs to reduce duties to allow such cars in.
The Prime Minister met Elon Musk in September 2015
But eventually after allowing polling to carry on for 72 hours, the final tally was this: MG/SAIC - 3%, PSA Peugeot-Citroen - 18% and Tesla ended up with 79% of the votes! The reason I decided to share all of this with you and in fact quote the actual tweets too, was to drive home the point. I am in sheer awe of the awareness and aspiration of the Indian consumer - as I always have been. So lets us hope their dreams are met - Mr Musk, and should I also add Mr Prime Minister, hope you are listening!
So earlier this month, I figured I may as well test this out for myself - to see if its only we in the media who are hyping this brand, or is there more to it? And so I put this to the test on social media - where else can you get a dipstick on what people may be thinking, right? So as unscientific as it may have been, I conducted a poll on twitter.
undefined I asked which brand's imminent entry to India most excited people - China's SAIC with its MG brand of cars, PSA Peugeot-Citroen (which may also choose to go with recently acquired Opel for India), or Tesla of course. The results of this poll began to surprise me. I set the duration for 3 days, and within the first 24 hours saw a pattern - Tesla had a staggering 81% of the votes.You're more excited at the prospect of which of these coming in to India? SVP @carandbike #CNB
— Siddharth V Patankar (@sidpatankar) June 15, 2017
Now I thought that was very surprising, despite knowing how much hype surrounds the brand. And so put out an additional tweet saying how surprised I was that most people are voting for a car brand that they would probably never buy or could even afford. The government has also set India a rather ambitious target of having only electric cars on our roads by 2030.
undefined After all, this is indeed very true even in Tesla's most successful markets, where too it is a niche player. But once I put out that tweet the comments I got were the bigger surprise. One user named Nishant replied, "It's never about affordability. It's about brands that excite people. Tesla is definitely such a brand!" Another named Ashwin said, "In 1983 the most exciting car was a Maruti 800 - all wanted to buy, but very few could afford.Interesting how the poll is going so far 81% say #Tesla even though majority will probably never buy/be able to afford one! SVP @carandbike https://t.co/blcGP9hj8u
— Siddharth V Patankar (@sidpatankar) June 15, 2017
From there to here, now Tesla is exciting." Many replies echoed one sentiment in particular - "Eventually will be (affordable) hopefully! That's the future, and greener, hence I voted for Tesla." as Harshad said. And George further said, "We still aspire to drive green one day. What if they decide to locally manufacture the Model3 and let us lease it?" Sure there were also many who said Tesla would be impractical, expensive, and also commented on how India lacks any charging infrastructure that electric cars need. Many also talked about how the government needs to reduce duties to allow such cars in.
But eventually after allowing polling to carry on for 72 hours, the final tally was this: MG/SAIC - 3%, PSA Peugeot-Citroen - 18% and Tesla ended up with 79% of the votes! The reason I decided to share all of this with you and in fact quote the actual tweets too, was to drive home the point. I am in sheer awe of the awareness and aspiration of the Indian consumer - as I always have been. So lets us hope their dreams are met - Mr Musk, and should I also add Mr Prime Minister, hope you are listening!
Related News
Popular Mahindra Models
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Latest News
Jaiveer Mehra | May 1, 2026Auto Sales April 2026: Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra, Kia Start New FY On Positive NoteHyundai reported its best-ever sales for April 2026, but still lagged behind Tata and Mahindra, who continued to hold second and third place.4 mins read
car&bike Team | Apr 30, 2026Bajaj Pulsar NS400z Price Slashed By Rs 14,000The updated 349 cc Puslar NS400z is now priced at Rs 1.80 lakh (ex-showroom).1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Apr 30, 2026Oben Rorr Evo Launched At Rs 1 LakhIntroductory prices are valid for the first 10,000 units, following which prices will be hiked by Rs 25,000.2 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Apr 30, 2026Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale Revealed With New Active SuspensionFerrari’s first four-door, four-seater gets a special handling package with active suspension to make it more dynamic to drive.1 min read
car&bike Team | Apr 30, 2026Royal Enfield Is Testing E85-Ready Classic 350 - Spy PhotosThe test bike was spied on public roads just days after the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways released a draft notification for E85 and E100 ethanol blending.1 min read
car&bike Team | Apr 30, 20265 New Cars Coming In May 2026: EVs, Hybrids And SUVs To Be LaunchedThe month of May will see a host of new car launches and this will include a couple electric cars as well as SUVs1 min read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Apr 29, 2026Toyota Innova Hycross Vs Mahindra XEV 9S: Choosing The Right Three Row Family MoverIn a battle of three-row cars the electric Mahindra XEV 9S takes on the Toyota Innova Hycross. Which one ticks more boxes?1 min read
Janak Sorap | Apr 26, 2026BMW F 450 GS First Ride Review: Almost A Proper GS With Big Bike DNANew 420cc twin, premium build, feature-loaded and Easy Ride Clutch — but does it deliver where it truly matters?8 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Apr 25, 20262026 MG Majestor Review: Bold, Feature-Packed And Off-Road ReadyWe spent time with the MG Majestor to see how much of an improvement it is over the Gloster, and whether it can take on the segment leader – Toyota Fortuner.9 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Apr 23, 2026Vega Bolt Bluetooth Smart Helmet Review: Smart, Simple, And FunctionalThe Vega Bolt Bluetooth Smart Helmet is a practical take on connected riding gear, aimed at commuters and riders who want integrated functionality without the hassle of add-ons.6 mins read
Preetam Bora | Apr 20, 2026Hero Destini 110 Vs TVS Jupiter 110 Comparison ReviewThe Hero Destini 110 and the TVS Jupiter 110 both sit in the same price bracket and target the same buyer. But they take different approaches. Which 110 cc scooter should you buy?9 mins read