With reference to "The game changer" (April 11), there is no doubt that there are a few advantages of buying an all-electric car like Telsa. But it will only be available for buyers by the end of 2017 and due to 125 per cent import duties it would cost as much as Rs 55 lakh, which is not the price a common man would like to shell out for an energy-saving car.
The company should not target users who drive Audis or BMWs, but those who drive cars priced at Rs 10-15 lakh to make a real impact in this electric car segment. Otherwise, it will remain a niche player. If the government is really serious about its tall claim of becoming an all-electric vehicle nation within 14 years, the prices of such vehicles have to be reduced drastically.
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Even hybrid car is not a successful product segment in India, mainly due to high cost. India remains a price-sensitive market and hurdles like a long charging time of 40 minutes, which will allow the car to cover about 345 km, is still on the expensive side and needs to be addressed before it is actually rolled out.
We should not be overjoyed with the 276,000-odd bookings for Telsa, as Indians have a passion for cars and there will always be a market for all segments. The jury is out on whether it will turn into a mass success. A majority of such bookings may be cancelled considering the time lag of more than 18 months.
Bal Govind, Noida
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