South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk It was announced on Saturday that the visit would be postponed. India,meanwhile, tesla My boss was scheduled to meet the prime minister. narendra modi and discuss large investment plans.
The news comes a day after Musk's electric car company announced a recall of about 4,000 Cybertruck vehicles due to a defective gas pedal that increases the risk of crashes.
“Unfortunately, due to very heavy obligations at Tesla, we will have to postpone our visit to India, but we are very much looking forward to visiting India later this year,” he said in his post. . Social media platform.
Tesla scouts factory location in India
The visit will begin on Sunday and last for two days, during which Musk will meet with Prime Minister Modi and aerospace companies, according to media reports.
Tesla is building a factory in India after the government last month cut import duties on electric vehicles for global automakers that pledged to invest $500 million and start local production within three years. It is reported that they are looking for a location.
The policy also allows companies to import up to 8,000 electric vehicles priced at $35,000 or more each year, with significantly reduced import duties.
Indian media reported that Tesla may first import cars from its Berlin factory until it finalizes where to set up its production line.
Experts say the Indian market is unlikely to be a blow to the company anytime soon, mainly due to the high prices of its cars.
questions faced
Tesla's current cheapest model is the Model 3 sedan, which sells for about $39,000 in the United States.
Musk's current business interests in India are limited to Company X, formerly known as Twitter.
He is reportedly facing questions from free speech activists on social media platforms for bowing to the Indian government's demands to remove important posts.
Musk, who has declared himself a fan of Modi, last visited India in 2007, calling the country “amazing” and saying the Taj Mahal was “truly a wonder of the world.”
Written by Garin Lambly ©Agence France-Presse