Tesla has opened its largest sales and service hub in India even as the EV giant struggles with weak sales in Asia’s third-largest economy. The centre in the northern city of Gurugram combines an experience showroom, charging, and after-sales services under one roof.
The EV maker has sold just over a hundred cars in India since its much publicised debut in July this year. Since its launch, it has received bookings for barely over six hundred cars till mid-September, dealership data shows. Only a small portion of these bookings converted into sales. Sources close to the company have revealed that Tesla is now focusing on strengthening India’s EV ecosystem in a bid to revive sales momentum.
The EV maker’s plan to improve sales is said to include a three-pronged strategy to increase adoption, install more charging stations across the country, and boost customer experience.
EVs make up less than three percent of passenger vehicle sales in India, and charging infrastructure has been slow to develop – the country has only around twenty-five thousand charging stations.
Tesla’s weak India sales come amid a broader slowdown in demand across its biggest markets – Europe, China, and the US.
The company’s profits fell in October despite record quarterly revenue, boosted by a last-minute rush from US buyers to claim an expiring tax credit.
