It seems that Elon Musk continues a push to enter the country as Tesla has drawn up plans to make and sell battery storage systems in India and submitted a proposal to officials seeking incentives to build a factory, as per the sources.
Tesla Proposes Battery Storage Factory In India
Further adding that the American automotive giant has been in talks about setting up a new electric vehicle (EV) factory in India.
The company wants to build a car priced around $24,000 for weeks, with discussions overseen directly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
So far, its renewables push, however, has not been reported.
In recent meetings in New Delhi, Tesla proposed supporting the country’s battery storage capabilities with its “Powerwall”, a system that can store power from solar panels or the grid for use at night or during outages, said the sources who declined to be named as the matter is confidential.
According to the sources, Tesla sought a number of incentives to set up a battery storage factory, but Indian officials conveyed these would not be available.
Further adding that the government could help create a fair business model for the company by offering subsidies to those purchasing such products.
Powerwall Proposal In Review
In the meantime, both Tesla and the Indian government remain keen on the proposal, and New Delhi continues to review it as so far it is not certain if the plan will be realized, said the sources.
It appears that the Powerwall proposal is part of the U.S. company’s plans for a broader presence in India, thinking beyond EVs.
Sources added that Tesla was keen to find residential as well as industrial customers for its battery storage systems as “Large policy level calibration will be required. Tesla’s intent is to have the Powerwall business in India.”
In this regard, Tesla and the Indian government’s chief spokesperson did not release any statement so far.
As we know that the country has boosted electricity supplies to towns and villages but still faces peak-time shortages as demand surges.
Presently, it is mostly dependent on coal-based power generation as storage technologies are expensive and not yet widespread.
India faced its worst power crisis last year due to coal transportation problems.
It seems that delays to adding coal and hydropower capacity have increased the risk of nighttime power cuts, when solar energy is not available.
Now, India is targeting an increase in non-fossil fuel power capacity to 500 GW by 2030, from 186 GW now.
When it comes to the Tesla’s Powerwall, it is a sleek unit around a meter high designed to be hung in a garage or outside a house.
It is mainly aimed at domestic and light commercial use but Tesla could look at developing larger solutions for industry if the India plan comes to fruition.
