Tesla's India entry: How social media reacted
Tesla has finally entered India after years of in-and-out. The US electric vehicle giant has got itself registered as Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) in Bengaluru. Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein have been appointed as directors of Tesla India.
This comes after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari last month announced that Tesla would hit the Indian shores in early 2021 with direct sales model. The EV company will also set up a research and development centre in Bengaluru.
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With the announcement of the EV maker's entry in the country, social media users have been overwhelmed. They have flooded the social platforms with various memes and jokes about the Indian road conditions and how Tesla's auto pilot mode would work here.
Though some Twitterati were filled with hopes of saving up and buying a Tesla soon, others speculated that if stuck in traffic jams or pot holes, Tesla's algorithms would face serious challenges here.
Memes on Twitter pointed out how now Tesla cars will replace the iconic Lamborghinis in Punjab rap songs. Also, if Tesla chooses to install supercharging stations in India, it might as well have to deploy security guards to protect the equipment from thieves and vandalizers.
Another Twitter user listed what all features an India-spec Tesla would need to have alongside an auto mode. Some of these included 'Drive on the wrong side', 'Park in no parking zone' and 'Horn for no reason mode'.
Famous memester Akshar Pathak posted a slide of memes pointing out how Tesla would have to gear up for Indian roads. Tesla cars need to have "kaali billi detection. Your car will stop till another one passes by", his meme read. A Twitter user, also joking about the black cat stereotype in the country, noted the reaction of a Tesla car when other cars would stop on seeing the cat.
Though social media has tried its best to give a hilarious glimpse into the future of Tesla cars in India, it is yet to be seen how the EVs perform on the country's roads. Tesla's first offering for India is expected to be launched by end of the first quarter of FY 2021-22 and is expected to be the affordable Model 3 electric sedan.
