bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Business Insider

Tesla fan Vishal Gondal from Mumbai said he pre-ordered a Tesla Model 3 in April 2016, excited about the car’s “cutting-edge EV technology.”
Gondal, the founder and CEO of GOQii, a healthtech start-up, expected to wait one to two years for the car. But nearly eight years later, he still had not received it, and he had not received any direct updates from Tesla on the status of the delivery.
He said the only updates he got were “Elon Musk’s tweets and news stories hinted at a potential India launch, but nothing concrete.
“Even now, there is no official communication from Tesla on the India launch,” Gondal said.
Eventually, he decided to give up and buy an electric SUV from German carmaker Audi instead. He says he’s “very happy with the car and the service Audi is offering.”
Gondal is one of the Tesla fans in India who pre-ordered the Model 3 in 2016 and were left hanging for years for cars that never arrived.

A receipt of his order came with a note that read: “Model 3 production is scheduled to begin in late 2017. North American deliveries will be first, followed by Europe, Asia and Pacific countries, then countries with right-hand drive configurations.”
Gondal says he wasn’t given confirmation on how much the car would cost after taxes, or when exactly it would be delivered, but he paid a deposit for it anyway.
“I initially expected to wait one to two years but ended up waiting nearly eight years with no car,” Gondal said.
Musk’s EV company invited Indian customers to pre-order the new model in 2016 with a US$1,000 deposit.
Another customer, Mumbai-based designer Hemant Suthar, waited six years before getting a refund in 2023, the Associated Press reported.
Gondal said that he was still a fan of Musk and admired Tesla’s innovation, but the experience has made him more cautious.
“I would consider purchasing a Tesla in India only if there were a clear and reliable market strategy with strong customer support and when I see the car in India with my own eyes,” he said.
Getting his deposit back, however, was a bit of a task, Gondal said.
“Tesla required a lot of documentation, and after extensive follow-up, I was finally able to trace the refund transaction at my bank,” Gondal said. “It wasn’t easy, but persistence paid off.”


In January 2022, Elon Musk said that Tesla was “still working through a lot of challenges” with the Indian government – one of the bugbears being the high import taxes it imposed on electric vehicles.
But in March, India did hand Tesla a big win. It lowered import taxes on EVs made by companies that commit to investing at least US$500 million and start domestic manufacturing within three years, per Reuters.
Under these new regulations, companies can import 8,000 EVs that cost US$35,000 or more yearly at a 15 per cent tax rate. That’s down from a 70 to 100 per cent EV tax, Reuters reported.
In April, Reuters reported that Tesla was planning to build a Tesla new factory in India as part of a US$2 to US$3 billion investment into the country.
Musk was expected to announce these plans on his trip to India in April. But Musk cancelled the trip that month, citing “very heavy Tesla obligations.”
Representatives for Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story was first published by Business Insider


Quad plans to hold joint coastguard training to counter China in Indo-Pacific: experts

Hong Kong demand for flexible office space grows as market in Singapore slumps: report

China and India agree on six-point consensus as they resume high-level border talks

‘I’ve had fun’: India ‘all-time great’ Ravichandran Ashwin retires from international cricket

India

An Indian man ordered a Tesla in 2016. He waited 7 years, it never arrived, now he has an Audi

A customer in India ordered a Tesla in 2016, but it never arrived. Photo: Reuters

A man in India waited seven years for a pre-ordered Tesla before seeking a refund on his deposit and buying an Audi. Photo: Weibo

‘Huge potential’: India Ola Electric’s stock market debut sparks hopes of EV expansion

Bhavish Aggarwal, chairman and CEO of Ola Electric Mobility Ltd (centre left), during the company’s listing ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, on August 9. Photo: Bloomberg

Ola Electric’s electric motorcycles during the company’s listing ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India, on August 9. Photo: Bloomberg

Bhavish Aggarwal, founder of Ola Electric, poses with Ola electric scooters in Mumbai, India, in July. Photo: Reuters

A man checks his mobile phone as he waits while recharging his Ola Electric scooter at an electric vehicle charging station in New Delhi, India, in February 2022. Photo: Reuters

Ola Electric’s new 4680 lithium-ion battery cells are displayed in a showcase in Mumbai, India, in July. Photo: Reuters

US union UAW sues Trump and Musk, saying they intimidated car workers in X interview

 The United Auto Workers Union filed federal labour charges against Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: AP

Trump, seen in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday night, speaks to Musk via phone during his interview on X. Photo: Margo Martin via X/Reuters

India’s car market may grow fivefold by 2047, driving Suzuki’s goal to grab 50% of sales

Cars, buses, trucks and rickshaws in a massive traffic jam in Bangalore on 16 December 2016. Photo: EPA

The manufacturing plant of Maruti Suzuki in Manesar, in northern India’s Haryana state, on September 26, 2023. Photo: Reuters.

News

Asia

South Asia

Vishal Gondal pre-ordered a Tesla Model 3 in 2016, but was left hanging for years for a vehicle that never arrived


Vishal Gondal pre-ordered a Tesla Model 3 in 2016, but was left hanging for years for a vehicle that never arrived.
