India is considering an EV tariff deal with Tesla, details emerge
According to reporting from the Financial Times, Tesla and India’s long courtship ritual could finally be making real progress. Negotiations appear to be on a path that would make it possible for Tesla to sell its existing cars in the country while it works on plans for a local manufacturing facility.
According to the report, the Indian government is considering sharply reducing its tariffs on imported electric vehicles — among the highest in the world — for a period of five years. Presently, the tariff in India assessed on any foreign EV costing under approximately $40,000 is 70%, with EVs over $40,000 subject to a 100% tariff. That means a brand like Tesla’s cars would cost double their MSRP, a cost that would be passed on to the customer — making them a nonstarter for virtually anyone.
Under the proposed scheme, India would lower the EV tariff to 15% for five years, though it’s unclear if the tariff would be higher or lower depending on vehicle MSRP, or flat across vehicles of all prices. The reporting suggests that Tesla must commit to building a manufacturing facility in the country to be eligible for the tariff reduction. Elon Musk had raised hopes of a deal like this coming to fruition with comments made in passing earlier this year, alongside reporting that Tesla sought to build a factory for a $24,000 vehicle in the country. Today’s news appears to confirm earlier reports on the subject back in May.
This Financial Times report is the first time we’ve had a sense of exactly how a Tesla-India deal would be architected. A senior Indian commerce minister is traveling to San Francisco for the APEC summit this week, and one of FT’s sources suggest this person could meet Elon Musk while there to discuss the deal. Granted, none of this is official — it’s all hearsay, seemingly from sources close to the Indian government.
Notably, FT’s report says the deal offered to Tesla would be open to all carmakers, but it’s unclear what exactly would be required for eligibility under the reduced tariff scheme. Minimum production commitments could conceivably be a component.
Electrek’s take
Given the back-and-forth between Tesla and India over the past few years, it’s tough to take this report with anything but a massive grain of salt. But it’s worth discussing, especially given the comparative reputability of the reporting source here.
India is a country with absolutely tiny EV share — electric cars make up under 2.5% of all auto sales in the country. And of those EVs, the overwhelming majority are cheap sub-$10,000 microcars, the likes of which I could never see Tesla producing. However, India is a truly massive country of over 1.4 billion people with a rapidly rising standard of living, and even a tiny share of a vast market could meaningfully impact Tesla’s global sales.
It’s hard to imagine what charging infrastructure would be like living with a Tesla in India, a country with highly inconsistent infrastructure development and a power grid that can become highly unstable, especially during the hot summer months. But as India continues to develop and modernize, it seems inevitable such difficulties will ease over time.
Whether this tariff deal actually ends up going anywhere is a whole other question. But this is the greatest level of detail we’ve seen for a potential agreement between the Indian government and outside automakers to make EV sales in the country a viable prospect. Tesla’s motivations here are clear: It wishes to begin selling cars in the country before it develops local manufacturing capacity to capitalize on existing demand for EVs. Given difficult economic conditions globally, the Indian government may also be feeling pressure to get high-profile manufacturing commitments at home, and more willing to budge than it has in the past. Until the ink is dry, though, nothing here is certain.
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A dozen Tesla vehicles burned at a store in Toulouse, France. Arson is suspected amid global protests and vandalism attacks against Tesla and Elon Musk.
Last night, a dozen Tesla vehicles burned down at Tesla’s retail and service location in Plaisance-du-Touch near Toulouse, France.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at around 4 a.m. and contained the fire to the vehicles. Eight of them were completely destroyed, and four were greatly damaged. The damages are estimated at over 700,000 euros.
According to the local news (translated from French), the police suspected arson as a hole was found in a fence, and threats had been made over the last few weeks. The Tesla location remained closed all day.
Tesla is currently being protested by anti-fascist groups around the world, especially in the US, where many are targeting Tesla to protest against Elon Musk’s involvement in the US government.
In France, there were a few protests planned, but some extremist groups are calling for widespread arson against Tesla stores:
I won’t share the link to the article since it gives step-by-step instructions on how to burn down Tesla stores without getting caught, but the manifesto explains that they are going after Tesla as a “symbol of capitalism,” although they also list a dozen other reasons including the fact that they think it’s “doable and cheap.”
Electrek’s Take
This is getting nuts. It’s not only dangerous, but it’s also not super effective in achieving the goal they claim to want to achieve.
Have they never heard of insurance? Tesla is having issues selling cars right now. You are burning unsold inventory that they can then claim to their insurance.
Sure, it disrupts their operations for a short period of time, but it’s not worth it.
Their manifesto does say to avoid violence and not to target vehicles owned by individuals – though it doesn’t sound like a strict rule for them, but I think these people are likely going to end up in jail for having achieved nothing.
The protests and boycotts are going strong. You don’t need to burn cars to make yourself heard.
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Environment
Ford F-150 Lightning sales have been falling for months: What’s going on with the EV pickup?
Is Ford’s electric pickup in trouble? Sales have been down for months, and February showed no relief. What’s going on with the Ford F-150 Lightning?
Ford F-150 Lightning sales drop again in February 2025
Ford’s US sales dropped by 9% last month. Although electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, both notched double-digit growth, sales of Ford’s gas-powered (ICE) models, which accounted for over 85% of deliveries, fell nearly 13%.
Hybrids saw higher demand with sales up 27.5% to 15,357, while EV sales increased 15% to 7,326. The Mustang Mach-E was a bright spot with 3,312 models sold in February, up 13% from the prior year.
With 6,841 Mach-Es sold through the first three months of 2025, Ford’s electric crossover SUV remains a top-selling EV in the US.
Ford’s electric pickup didn’t fare as well. F-150 Lightning Sales were down nearly 15% last month with only 2,199 units sold. Through March, Ford has sold 15% fewer Lightning models than it did at this time last year.
Sales of the electric pickup have been slipping for months now. In the final three months of 2024, F-150 Lightning sales were down 10%.
The Lightning, alongside Rivian’s R1T, are no longer the only electric pickups on the market. Ford is facing new competition with the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV, arriving.
According to Cox Automotive, the Tesla Cybertruck slipped past the Lightning to become the fifth best-selling EV in the US last year with nearly 39,000 units sold. Ford’s Lightning was sixth with just over 33,500 models sold.
Ford extended its “Power Promise” promo earlier this year to boost demand, giving EV buyers a Level 2 home charger and other benefits, but Lightning sales are still down.
The American automaker cut Lightning production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center last year, citing slower-than-expected demand. A new report from Automotive News claims Ford is now ending a pilot program to stock and distribute EVs through regional hubs after it failed to catch on. It was designed to speed up deliveries.
Although Ford plans to launch a smaller midsize electric pickup, it won’t arrive until at least two more years. With new competition, like the Ram 1500 REV and Volkswagen Scout pickup, hitting the market over the next few years, Ford may find it even harder to attract buyers.
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Costco’s Auto Program recently introduced some new member-only incentives, and the 2025 Volvo EX90 BEV is now on its list.
Volvo is offering Costco Executive Members $2,000 off the 2025 EX90. Costco Gold Star and Business members are eligible for $1,500 off. The incentives are available on all versions of the Volvo EX90 for members who purchase or lease from February 24 to April 30, 2025. It’s the only non-GM EV that’s that’s eligible for an incentive through the EV program.
The offer is compatible with A-Plan pricing for employees, as well as Affinity Pricing for teachers and first responders. Costco members will have had to have been members as of February 23 and be the primary members on the Costco account to qualify.
However, CarsDirect gave the heads up on how buyers can get up to $10,000 off the EX90’s MSRP. As we stated, if you’re a Costco Executive Member, that’s $2,000 off. Then, add the $7,500 EV Lease Allowance and a $500 loyalty discount on leases if you currently own or lease a Volvo or have owned or leased a Volvo within the past six months.
With the destination fee included, the base EX90 MSRP starts at $81,290, so that brings it down to $71,290, a more than 12% discount, a pretty good deal.
The 2025 AWD Volvo EX90, which can seat seven passengers comfortably, has a range of up to 310 miles and is NACS-compatible. It has a 510 hp engine, 110 kWh battery capacity, and can go from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Read more: Review: Volvo EX90 is a smooth AWD 7-seat luxury kid-hauler
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