Tesla Model 3: Top 5 facts

The news about the India launch of the most sought-after electric car in the world, the Tesla Model 3 broke out on Friday, but was quickly discarded as a Fool’s Day prank. Soon though, Elon Musk’s public statement confirmed the entry of Tesla in the sub-continent with its new sedan, soon after which, the bookings for the car were declared open.

The Tesla Model 3, ever since, has been the talk of the town. Here we look at the top five facts about the car that make it really drool-worthy.

Roof completely made of glass

On the design front, the car's roof area is one continuous pane of glass, which drew a roar of applause from the audience during Elon Musk’s speech at the launch. The all-glass roof culminates into a semi-glass boot trunk at the rear.

Tesla has established a pretty crisp and coherent design vocabulary with the Model S and Model X, and the Model 3 is a pretty clear development of those basic ideas. 

The absence of a grille on the front is a notable feature while the headlight-hood treatment seems inspired by luxury car brands. Overall the new 5-seater electric sedan looks a toned down version of the Model S.

Thousands of superchargers 

The Model 3's powertrain comes fitted with a total of 7,200 superchargers, which can propel the car to from 0-60 mph (0-96km) in under 6 seconds. 

Supercharger support and a 346km range will be standard across all variants and like the Model S, the Model 3 will also come in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the company will set up a pan-India supercharger network. Considering that the car will be available in early 2018, Tesla is expected to utilise this time to set up its infrastructure in the country.

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Big screen on the dashboard

Inside the Tesla Model 3, five adults can fit comfortably. It features more cargo capacity than any petrol or diesel car of the same external dimensions. 

Tesla has reportedly tapped electronics company LG to make the giant 15-inch landscape touchscreen display on the inside of the car. This is just 2 inches smaller than the centre screen in Tesla’s flagship Model S sedan and Model X SUV. 

Could be priced in India at around Rs 37 lakh

With a US sticker price of $35,000 (about Rs 23 lakh), the final on-road price in India would depend on how Tesla wishes to present this car in India. If the car is brought to India in parts and assembled here, the import duty would vary between 10 per cent and 30 per cent, depending on the level of assembling done in the country.  

However, if the car is launched in India as a completely built unit, the on-road price would rise by 60 per cent -- the import duty applicable for all imported cars priced below $40,000.  At that level of tariffs, the Tesla Model 3 could land on Indian shores with a price-tag of around Rs 37 lakh.

Book it for Rs 66,000 in India!

With its rather steep pricing, the country’s customers have a chance to block their Model 3 with an equally large token amount of around Rs 66,000 (the rupee equivalent of $1,000). But that hasn’t stopped early adopters like Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and venture capitalist Mahesh Murthy to book their Teslas already.