Tesla, the world’s most valuable carmaker, has had a slow start in India. It launched the Model Y in July 2025, but managed to sell just 226 cars in the year (Vahan retail sales data). Reasons are many – a subdued launch, high price, and a car not suited for India, as of now.
We drove this minimalist masterpiece to see if it can survive the maximalist reality of Indian roads.
Why call it minimalist?
Traditional cars have 50 buttons, three stalks, two screens, and so much more. But the Model Y just has a central touchscreen, steering wheel, and a turn indicator stalk – everything else, including info such as speed, battery, range, maps, are all on the touchscreen. Even the AC vents are hidden.
Why it’s good?
The cabin has a clean look – compare it to a Nokia of 2005 with a modern iPhone that has eliminated even the physical home button (all-screen display). Entering it is visually calming – no flashing dials or glowing buttons – and there is huge space to move your hands around. It’s easy to clean, too – just one swipe with a cloth and it’s all neat.
Why it isn’t?
For every control, you have to go inside the touchscreen, and that means taking your eyes off the road. It works in the west – because the car has full-self driving capability – but in India, where a dog can suddenly run across the road or a vehicle can change lanes without warning, it can be risky.
It doesn’t have a gear lever – you have to slide an icon up on the touchscreen for the ‘Drive’ mode, and down for ‘Reverse’.
In addition, for Indians used to luxury items such leather, fine plastic, or faux-wood trims in a Mercedes-Benz, the Tesla feels basic.
How does it drive?
It can outrun most sports cars, and quietly. While driving on a lazy Sunday morning on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, a roaring BMW M overtook me. As I floored the accelerator, it took the Model Y just 10 seconds to show the Bimmer the sculpted backside of the Tesla.
But hit a bad patch of the road and the ride turns uncomfortable – the suspension is very stiff, and you feel most pebbles and patches.
Ground clearance is low (167 mm), and you have to carefully navigate tall speed-breakers and potholes.
I drove it in Delhi winters, and its panoramic glass roof turned the cabin warm in minutes – I’m wondering what it’ll do in 45-degree heat of May!
Its 84.2-kWh battery has a WLTP range of 661 km, but my test car had a real-world range of 520 km, which is quite good.
How to charge it?
If you live in Delhi or Mumbai, you will have access to Tesla Superchargers, which can give you a claimed range of 267 km in just 15 minutes (about Rs 25 per kWh), but because it uses the CCS2 port (Combined Charging System 2), you can also charge it at any Tata Power or Statiq charger (slower, but cheaper, at less than Rs 20/kWh). The best is home charging (Rs 7-10 km/kWh), as Tesla gives a free home wall charger with the Model Y (installation cost of a few thousand rupees extra).
Is it too early?
The Model Y Long Range in these photos is priced Rs 67.89 lakh (on-road is Rs 69.15 lakh), and the Standard Range (400 km real-world) will cost you Rs 61.07 lakh on-road. What you get is a smartphone on wheels that is quicker and roomier than most cars, with running costs of just Rs 1-2 per km, and of course the snob value.
What you don’t get is traditional luxury, the supreme comfort and badge value of a Mercedes-Benz, and in the chaotic Indian traffic, it’s really difficult to use its autonomous driving features – the X-factor of any Tesla.
