Elon Musk Set to Launch Tesla in India; Cybertruck Powers Rivian in Emergency

During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar in January 2024, Elon Musk is projected to announce the launch of Tesla India.

Elon Musk Anticipated To Announce Tesla India Next Month

According to local media sources, Tesla and Elon Musk are nearing the end of negotiations with the government over the location of a production site. Tesla and India have had lengthy discussions over the years, with the two nearly reaching an agreement several times only to have the talks fall through.

When the Indian government indicated that it would explore regulatory reforms for electric vehicles (EV) in early November, Tesla India conversations resurfaced. Among the topics discussed was a policy change regarding EV manufacturing in India, per Teslarati.

The Indian government intended to discuss Tesla's investment proposal as well. The government intends to expedite the company's permits by January 2024.

According to Gujarat state media, Tesla is looking for land in Sanand, a city and municipality in the Ahmedabad area. Sanand has evolved into a major industrial hub in Gujarat, home to companies such as Tara Motors, Maruti Suzuki, and MG Motor.

When Elon Musk met with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in New York this summer, talks on launching Tesla in India resumed. Following his discussion with Prime Minister Modi, Elon Musk revealed plans to visit India in 2024. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has claimed that the company plans to make a "significant investment in India in the future."

Tesla Cybertruck Charges Rivian R1S in an Emergency

Meanwhile, a Tesla Cybertruck recently provided a rapid charge for the rest of a Rivian R1S on a family road vacation. “My neighbor shared this picture with me. He got an emergency charge on his Rivian R1S by a Tesla Cybertruck on a road trip with his family. He is too pissed off at the moment to tell me the story, but I can be he was stranded by an unreliable, third-party CCS,” Kitty Adama Hoksbergen shared on LinkedIn.

The image depicts the Tesla Cybertruck's Powershare technology in use. Powershare can charge up to 30kWh per day via bidirectional charging, allowing the Cybertruck to power a construction site and, yes, another electric vehicle.

Hoksbergen is the Executive Director of Adopt a Charger, Inc., a nonprofit organization that seeks sponsors to expand the number of fee-free electric car chargers. Given her background, Hoksbergen is all too aware of the need for more EV charging in public locations like parks and beaches, as well as along heavily frequented roads and highways—for those long road trips like the one her neighbor went on with his family.

Aside from the need for more EV chargers in North America, the question of which connector will dominate the industry remains. Prior to the widespread acceptance of Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS), the industry appeared to prefer the Combined Charging System (CCS) as a charging connector standard. Customers have reported issues ranging from a lack of internet connectivity for payments to often malfunctioning charging stalls at CCS charging stations.

As more North American automakers dig deeper into electric vehicles, they have begun to recognize the crucial role charging stations play in the industry. Tesla has the experience, thanks to its Supercharger Network, to assist in extending North America's charging infrastructure.

Rivian is one of the automakers that has announced the adoption of Tesla NACS, and Rivian R1 customers will receive a free NACS adaptor in 2024. The business intends to introduce electric vehicles with the NACS charge port as standard by 2025.

Photo: David von Diemar/Unsplash