According to two people with familiarity of the idea, Tesla has developed plans to produce and market battery storage systems in India and has submitted an application to officials looking for incentives to build a facility. Elon Musk is continuing his push into the country.
For weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been actively involved in conversations at Tesla about establishing a new electric vehicle (EV) plant in India to produce a car costing roughly $24,000. But there haven't been any reports of its green energy drive.
According to the individuals who declined to be named since the topic is private, during recent discussions in New Delhi, Tesla recommended assisting the nation's battery storage capacities with its "Powerwall" system, which can store energy from solar panels or the grid for usage at night or during outages.
One of the sources added that although Tesla requested a variety of incentives to establish a battery storage plant, Indian officials made it clear that they would not be granted. But they emphasised that by providing subsidies to consumers who buy such things, the government may assist the corporation in developing a fair economic model.
According to the first source, it is uncertain whether the idea will be implemented, even though both Tesla and the Indian government continue to be interested in it and New Delhi is still considering it.
The second source added that the Powerwall proposal was a part of the American company's intentions for a more extensive operation in India, going beyond EVs, and that Tesla was eager to find both residential and industrial clients for its battery storage solutions.
It will be necessary to calibrate policies at a large scale. The insider claimed that Tesla intended to operate a Powerwall business in India.
Inquiries for comment were not answered by Tesla, the chief spokeswoman for the Indian government, or the commerce ministry.
Despite increasing its town and village energy supplies, India still has peak-time shortages due to rising demand. Due to the high cost and limited adoption of storage technology, it relies heavily on coal-based power production.
Due to issues with the transportation of coal, India experienced its greatest energy crisis in more than six years last year. Additionally, the possibility of nighttime power outages, when solar energy is not accessible, has increased due to delays in increasing coal and hydropower capacity.
By 2030, the nation wants to raise its non-fossil fuel power capacity from its current level of 186 GW to 500 GW.
About Powerwall
Tesla's Powerwall is a modern, one-meter-tall device that may be mounted outside or in a garage.
Modi evaluated the device while Musk was there during a 2015 visit to Tesla's campus in California. Modi later remarked that he had appreciated talking about how battery technology could benefit farmers.
The second source indicated, without going into further detail, that if the India plan is successful, Tesla may look into developing more substantial solutions for industry. Powerwall is intended for residential and light commercial use.
According to the first source, Indian officials have also told Tesla that it must lower the price of its battery storage goods because demand is anticipated to be quite high. The government might aid in opening up the market, the first person said.
In California, Powerwall costs more than $5,500 after rebates and solar panel expenses. It qualifies for local, state, and utility benefits for solar and energy storage as well as federal tax credits in the United States.
In a first, Powerwall users in Dallas and Houston recently decided to return any excess energy to the Texas power system.