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PluginIndia Electric Vehicles

Why is Narendra Modi meeting Elon Musk?

23/9/2015

9 Comments

 
By Kamlesh Mallick
Our prime minister, Mr Narendra Modi is visiting Silicon Valley in California, later this week.  He is meeting the CEO’s of various technology firms like Facebook, Apple, Google and Microsoft.
But the most intriguing aspect of his Bay area trip is his visit to the Tesla factory in Fremont. 
What could be the agenda there?

Tesla are present in North America, Europe, Australia, Japan and China. All EV enthusiasts in India  are waiting for Tesla to start their operations here.
Could this visit by our Prime minister accelerate their plans for operations/investment in India?
Picture
Image source - www.bidnessetc.com

Let us examine, some areas of discussion between Mr Modi and Mr Elon Musk
  • Tesla Powerwall 
  • Tesla electric cars dealerships in India
  • Create a Gigafactory in India
Tesla Powerwall
Mr Modi has ambitious plans for Solar Power generation in India. Our government has plans to install 100,000MW of solar power by the year 2022. Given these ambitions, energy storage is a big problem to be solved.  And a Tesla Powerwall, which is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed to store energy at a residential level could be an ideal energy storage solution to effectively use Solar Power.
Currently the Tesla Powerwall costs $3500 for 10kWh and $3000 for 7kWh.
With mass manufacturing, the costs can come down in the future to be a cost effective option for clean energy storage.
Mr Modi could ask Tesla to start selling these energy storage systems and later even manufacture them in India to further lower the costs.

Tesla electric cars dealerships in India
Trip Chowdhry, Managing Director at Global Equities Research makes a very ambitious statement regarding
Tesla electric cars in India.
“PM Modi may invite Tesla to initially open 4 to 5 Tesla Dealerships in India,” Chowdhry said. “Our research indicates that Tesla could easily initially sell between 10,000 to 12,000 Model S a year in India."

While Mr Chowdhry is bullish about Tesla’s chances in India, we are not sure.  A Tesla Model S manufactured in USA and sold here could cost Rs 60 Lakhs (assuming 90,000 USD after taxes and duties for the base model). 
Tesla would really struggle to sell the car, at that price and that too without Supercharger infrastructure.
Maybe the mass-market Model 3, which will be launched at a price of $35,000, after 3 years, could have a chance.
But definitely not the Model S and definitely not now.


GigaFactory
A Gigafactory in India, with full government support, can be attractive for Tesla as it will dramatically reduce costs for them and also reduce shipping times to markets in the far east.
The Gigafactory 1, in construction in Nevada, USA will reduce the production cost for their Electric vehicle battery and Powerwall packs by 30%
Imagine a Gigafactory 2, in India, which would further reduce costs.  
Tesla has received $800m of orders ($179m PowerWall, $625m PowerPack) within 1 week of unveiling the Tesla PowerWall.  Mr Elon Musk estimates that the Gigafactory 1 would not be enough to supply demand.
There is competition from Japan, China, who are established electronics manufacturing centers, to setup the 2nd Gigafactory. 
So team Modi will really have to announce something big, if they are serious about 'making Li-Ion battery packs in India'.

A Gigafactor in India, is the most outlandish expectation. 
But for visionaries like Modi and Musk, nothing is impossible!

What do you guys think?  Do comment below.

We @ PluginIndia.com will update this blog, as news filters in about any announcements made.
Stay Tuned!

Picture
Photo Source - Tweet by PMO India
​Update - 9/28/2015
"Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Prime Minister Modi discussed Tesla's developments in battery technology, energy storage, and renewable energy and the positive implications of this innovation for India," Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes told PTI.
Speaking to ANI, CEO Elon Musk said, "Modi and I talked about electricity generation and how arguably there's a way to skip ahead with it as with cell phones."
So the discussion was about 'The Powerwall', which makes complete sense as energy via de-centralized grids are the future. 
Great stuff by Mr Modi and Mr Musk!
9 Comments
PlugInCaroo
30/9/2015 03:42:34 pm

Having watched the discussions between various CEOs and Modi and their body language it was obvious that only Mark from Facebook looked interested... Tesla and Apple did not seem interested... Tim Cook of Apple looked completely lost...
Probably only Apple & Tesla would want to ramp up its production (of Electric car) massively on such a scale as to want to do it outside USA.... In the event if it does... it would do it in China. Reasons:
1. China has connectivity - Massive Roads
2. Electricity is not a problem.
3. Labour is cheaper.
4. No Labour Union - Workers do not have the right to organize in trade unions thus more exploitable than ever possible in India.
5. But the biggest reason could be CHINESE PORTS & SHIPPING... China ships to every single country in the world.
What is interesting is that China as a market is already EV-aware has a lot of EVs and charging infrastructure while India is a new market, people are not much EV-aware and has almost zero charging infrastructure (unless one considers the Mahindra dealer power socket outside).
One TESLA PRODUCT that can do well in India is the POWERWALL... even at Rs 223,000 it is an attractive option as it supposedly has a life of 10 yrs. India is also investing in Wind and Solar Energy plants... either way there will be demand for Powerwall at least from residential users.
Modi could have done it easier. Call up all the car & vehicles makers in India and tell them by next year they HAVE TO have 10% of their car sales in Electric versions else they will have to pay Rs 50,000 per car as polluting tax.

Reply
Kamlesh Mallick
30/9/2015 04:08:06 pm

Yeah agree.
Cant see a Gigafactory happening here. It was an outrageous expectation.
Cant see it happening.
We just dont have a electronic/semi conductor manufacturing base.

Powerwall has incredible scope.

I love your Pollution tax, idea and enforcing all manufacturers to launch 1 EV model like California does.
Also exempt all taxes for EVs. Even that is not done yet. We still have a way to go.

Reply
Jigar Patel
17/10/2020 08:19:00 am

People were saying the same thing when elon was working on tesla and space x.. bt both happened.. it needs vision, optimism, passion and hard work..

Reply
Anaira
17/1/2021 12:09:12 am

It's true!! We've got sales started in India, that's a stepping stone!! Would love to watch it grow.

PlugInCaroo
1/10/2015 03:36:44 pm

Ather Energy too could have their version of the PowerWall... as they too would have to develop charging stations sooner than later... it would be a very good idea if Ather would get into developing battery solutions for the residential user backed by some kind of a warranty say 5 or 10 years.

Reply
Umesh link
26/2/2018 08:05:05 pm

Elon Musk is a genius businessman. Tesla is a popular car around the world.

Reply
Inayat link
14/4/2018 02:20:48 pm

It's difficult to convince Elon Musk for investment in India. Tesla is a popular brand.

Reply
Naveen Singh link
13/12/2019 05:39:42 pm

Because of timing matters in cricket and life.
And also look timing before election Musk India visit.
One big more - peoplewhen two wise people talk then don't speak in middle.

So first of all I will explain my answer for these two people in the same way he thinks ..
Rocket formation is happening with scientist only .
Or who is scientist.i also on my way to transform. And I remember in my student Life I used to develop formula and one book of Physics Wrote by Mr. HC Verma.. is my favorite book because I get understand by reading his book and parallel to his feeling while writing a book..
I always wanted to make a pre exams guide just for that paper after my 10th but later on I found one computer in my Town.then I suggest a big earning computer game to my brother.
But he refused.he used to go library and I asked him to carry books .and I started reading fast and more fast .
Then somewhere I started with philosophy and Osho way of communication is very useful for me for convey my packets of massage..or to understand in same way....

Any way I got read like author and ensure the author before reading... because every string's of my mind will create a new mirror image of myself...
And the only thing is the common in ether drag hypothesis .. communication between time...

I was watching Musk YouTube video of Vivek bindra ..
And mullah nasaruddin when asked to give presentation in only 5 minutes of total data of speech of 1/2 hours ...he confused and could not speak a single word because lot may become Left.. when he conclude half hour lecture into 5 minutes speech...

And this way of communication will Also help you to derived life living formula for yourself and make a surrounding of similar people... that make you lifting upward..

Either you derive a new quotation of business or you can use ancient one from VED or Geeta both are same ..

Reply
viralminati link
4/4/2022 05:14:00 pm

I know sooner or later Musk will also rule India with his products. He is the most hard working guy in the entire world. He is an inspiration for the youth.

Reply

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