[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Bh.P

I think charging infrastructure is not the big barrier.
The bigger barrier would be cost. Government has to provide subsidies or restructure the taxation on these cars to make them attractive. May be they can start with the e2o.

Completely agree. The infrastructure will also need to be vandal and theft resistant.

Originally Posted by HeavyFuelRun

Also, we must keep in mind that an electric car is only as green as the method by which the electricity it runs on is generated.
Hence, electric car does not always mean green car, we must go back to source!

True. Too often though, such reasoning is used to block or retard growth/sale of electric cars. Electricity generation is and must keep moving towards the renewable sources.

Originally Posted by ckranjan

You are right but electric cars are less polluting because the efficiency of coal power plants is way more than internal combustion engines. So its not as polluting.

Originally Posted by HeavyFuelRun

I seem to have found some evidence to the contrary, refer this article on forbes.com. An eletric vehicle running on coal powered eletricity is worse than a gasoline engined car, as per this writer.

The fact that the source pollutes doesn't mean we don't still use it for our homes and offices. The fact that petrol & diesel pollute doesn't stop us from using vehicles. Us using fossil-fuel powered vehicles is adding to the problem of the dirty source of electricity. A person shifting to an electric car is effectively only using the electricity that is being produced anyway. Remember that there is no storage on the grid, but there is in the car's batteries.

Those of us that are conscious enough and rich enough can certainly install solar panels to power up their car or even their houses.

And electric cars in the near future will remain expensive. The E2O is impractical because it cannot replace your existing vehicle, and must therefore be at best an expensive second city car. If one could have an electric car with a 300+ km range per charge, then there would be more takers even if it is far more expensive because it could be one's only car.

Finally, with the expected performance of this thing, I would certainly mortgage my house (figuratively speaking, as I don't own a house) to buy this car

[Bh.P]

The argument that electricity used to charge the car is as polluting as an IC engine does not make sense to me. The article posted couple of posts ago does not even consider the pollution caused while extracting gasoline. In any case, electricity is centrally generated and hence its pollution can be better managed, than millions of cars farting around all over the world.

I think the time for EVs has come, even in India, and it is time the government and car companies strive to make is more popular and accessible/practical to general masses. Government should encourage/facilitate companies like Tesla to set shop here and leverage their expertise in this area.

[HeavyFuelRun]

Originally Posted by Bh.P

The argument that electricity used to charge the car is as polluting as an IC engine does not make sense to me. The article posted couple of posts ago does not even consider the pollution caused while extracting gasoline. In any case, electricity is centrally generated and hence its pollution can be better managed, than millions of cars farting around all over the world.

I think the time for EVs has come, even in India, and it is time the government and car companies strive to make is more popular and accessible/practical to general masses. Government should encourage/facilitate companies like Tesla to set shop here and leverage their expertise in this area.

It is a valid arguement that extraction of gasoline has an environmental impact, however the article is comparing only from the point of view of CO2 emissions. If one were to consider the pollution from oil extraction, one must also add the pollution from coal mining.

In any case, the point I was trying to make is that the 'electric car' by itself does not make one carbon neutral. What will be required over the long term is a sustained commitment to move towards greener power generation, and that is when the electric car will fulfilll its potential to make the transport infrastructure of an entire nation green.

I completely agree with the points you make
1) The electric car is the future, but the process does not end with the car, we as consumers must also push for greener power!
2) The power generation is more central and hence more easily controlled/switched is also a valid point, as nations switch to greener power, the trickle down effect will be much faster then what one would see in ICE mobility

[iamahunter]

The technology has been developing at lightning pace since a couple of decades.
Example: Telephones/Mobiles (devices to talk to each other electronically).
I remember getting home a telephone set for the first time.
Then there were cordless phones.
Then something called as "Mobile" came in when I was in college. (Heavy things having small monochrome display).
Today we are using touchscreens, that to some have a resolution more than a TV.
Flexible displays are here as well!

Its going to a short process that we adopt to this technology of electric cars.

Charging them? Infrastructure?

Many of us must have heard about wireless charging!
Yes, wireless charging is still in the "telephone" stage (in accordance to the above example) as of now.
But I feel this technology is going to grow fast now.
Who knows, in a few years we might just park our car in the parking slot and it starts charging.
Even better, charging tunnels/zones on the major highways. Just drive thru and your car is full of juice!
Just imagining.!!

For more on wireless charging : Wireless Charging

[azeemhafiz]

Interesting view points.

I would buy the Tesla (if i ever were to buy) purely for the sheer acceleration and that instant response that fossil fueled counterparts just cannot keep up with. Which means I would get the P85D. And since the P85D is priced at par with high end 7 series, this would translate to about 1.5 Cr on Indian roads.

The fact that this brutal acceleration machine is also green is just a coincidence in my case and not the decision factor.

So, In my case - I would buy the Tesla P85D despite the fact that it is eco-friendly and not because it is one

[sriramv.iyer]

Tesla is a path breaking car - I am not sure why everyone is not jumping with joy with the prospect of Tesla coming to India!

I would definitely pick up one!

A brilliant review of the car by serious fan (who is also a cartoonist, an amazing one at that!)
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla_model_s

PS:- Some sensitive people may find his language offensive - You have been warned

[GKR9900]

No doubt Tesla is rewriting ground rules of the automobile industry. We as auto enthusiasts definitely vouch for it. But the problem is - this is India we're talking about, where we have to live with adulterated fuel, broken roads, and tax policies that burn a hole through our pocket.
Even hybrids have not found a strong foothold here. That's why the hint of cynicism in the response.

Gotta admit it...it takes pretty big ba**s to undertake something of this proportion to an untried and untested market like India , while other manufacturers are shying away from it. Maybe Elon Musk really has a master plan up his sleeve. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new chapter in the Indian automobile industry

[maddy42]

Great rumor and i hope its true.

Let me add my 2 cents:
1) Tesla sells both Luxury, High Tech, Speed and also Green. In india it should concentrate on the first three and leave Green aside. Green is not a market here.
2) Kitna deti hai is the stuff Tesla should target. When your fuel takes about 25% of your salary you would care if you can power your car at usually subsidized prices for less than 5% of your salary. (a full tank of gas in the US costs $50 and a full charge costs in Tesla $5)
3) Model 3 is scheduled to come out in 2017. It can be delayed further. Trust me when i say do not look at the future models, it will take a while. They have already delayed Model X 3 times and now is scheduled for late 2015 launch.
4) Range: How many of us drive more than 450 kms in one day? Does it really count?
5) Tesla has created charging stations which are free of cost called the Superchargers. It gives 80% of charge in under 20 mins. Just imagine driving across the country for free?
6) How green is always debateable. Tesla claims the effieciency of the electric engine is greater than a IC engine.

This company is a fighter. Has been hit right left and center by all. One entire political party hates their existence.
They still survived.

Fires occured 3 times. They provided titanium under body protection.

When issues comes up in folks cars they provide a better loaner car and replace parts for free.

8 years is the battery warranty.

First company to launch a massive manufacturing operation to build Batteries at a lower cost has been launched in nevada.

The car can be fixed like downloading the latest OS online. It does it by itself and the next day you have new features in your car.

The tech used here are the best. Its class beating in the true sense of the word. It costs about 60 lacs here. If they can sell it in India at 60 lacs they can do decent numbers.

I am severly optimistic with this company. More so i want them to succeed as in a 100 years this is the first time someone has challenged the big companies in their game.

Maddy

[rpunwani]

The Tesla is an amazing car, just look at the bare chassis - so simple with very few moving parts. Basically the suspension; steering (which is also electrical) & the drive (electrical motors). The huge screen is a joy to use, very intuitive and the screen resolution is great. IMHO the screens on the bug three German cars are pale in comparison to the Tesla.

Tesla also has the Model S P85D with dual motors, which can do 0 - 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, which is blistering fast. All this without the sound / vibration of an IC engine.

Though the cars are expensive & many feel that it may not be practical for India - I am convinced that this is clearly the future.

[GKR9900]

Model S or model III is quite a tricky predicament.As model III has not been unveiled yet, model S might be the one to get to our shores first.

If at all it does make it to India let's say at a price of about 1 crore, there should be many takers. 'Kitna deti hai' is not exactly what prospective customers are worried about in that segment. Then again, model S offers an all new level of 'Kitna deti hai' , unlike anything in the market today, so it could really be a deciding factor. Also luxury and tech is what Tesla offers in abundance. Add to that the exotic status of owning a futuristic car!

Model III on the other hand caters to a different set of people. At a price of about 30-40L, I for one would be looking at a reasonably VFM product. And judging by Model S standards, things are looking pretty good. From what I've seen, many people who can afford a car (3er/A4/C) in this segment are scared off because of the big maintenance costs associated with them. I know quite a few people who opted for the Fortuner for just this one reason. Now if Tesla can bring the same amount of luxury and tech (if not more) associated with these cars at a competitive price, the market might open up for them. Low maintenance, zero fuel bills, immense economy, 8 year warranty on the batteries, and then, the icing on the cake, that awesome motor, and people will definitely start to take notice. So I feel model III is the way to go in India.

An interesting thought here...manufacturers have always brought less powerful engines here for the sake of fuel economy. Now Tesla is already offering great range with its electric motor. So that should exclude Tesla from making that quintessential compromise on performance right? Shouldnt we be getting a performance packed sedan in the model III then ?

Will Tesla go for a top down approach and concentrate on a set of niche customers? Or will it go further mainstream and cater to a wider audience? Only time will tell.

Anyway, if this is the future of automobiles, it definitely looks bright and shiny

[anilp]

Guys, it's a big mistake to compare Tesla with the likes of Prius. Teslas are meant largely for enthusiasts and should be treated as such. So the layman will not be picking it up in India. It will be the enthusiast early adopter who has the moolah to spare. Suffice it to say that they will have the wherewithal to manage the associated logistics. The only issue that Tesla will face is the on road cost. I hope they come in as CKDs.

[rpunwani]

Here are some more pictures of the Tesla Model S. Many thanks to the Tesla Showroom and their representatives in Boca Raton, Florida for allowing me to take these photos & fiddle around with the car

Some more photos to follow soon

[tj123]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

The technology has been developing at lightning pace since a couple of decades.
Example: Telephones/Mobiles (devices to talk to each other electronically).
I remember getting home a telephone set for the first time.
Then there were cordless phones...............

Even better, charging tunnels/zones on the major highways. Just drive thru and your car is full of juice!
Just imagining.!!

For more on wireless charging

I agree that we have advanced technologically in the past two decades. But it is quite unfortunate to know that since French physicist Gaston Planté invented the first rechargeable battery 154 years ago, battery performance has improved only eightfold.

When compared to electronics ,batteries are still lagging in the 20th Century. Companies and governments have spent billion searching for the illusive battery which Recharge more quickly, store more energy, and discharge it for longer. The humble batteries are turning out to be the toughest nut to crack ,now wonder Tesla has given away all its patents to speedup research in this area.

Read interesting article :http://theweek.com/article/index/243...better-battery

[reppy]

Tesla should, infact will have to, install a CVT (constant voltage transformer, not the gearbox) in the car to make it truly plug n charge anywhere. The quality of electricity will play havoc with battery life and charging!

[Su-47]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

Tesla is a path breaking car - I am not sure why everyone is not jumping with joy with the prospect of Tesla coming to India!

So true, I'm really excited if this turns out to be true. Here is a car that proved that electrics can be gorgeous and high performance. And, that is a welcome change from the utterly boring Revas and E2Os.

If the cheaper 35k model doesn't make any significant compromise on range and they keep it within 25-30L in India, it would find buyers.

I also hope that Elon Musk's opening up of Tesla's patents in electric drive technology makes electric cars more mainstream:
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-...are-belong-you