Audi Executive Says Lowering Import Tax on EV Will Help Test India Market

Audi is trying to catch up with its peers, BMW and Mercedes, in the transition to electric.

By Reuters | Updated: 16 September 2023 11:21 IST

Audi Executive Says Lowering Import Tax on EV Will Help Test India Market

Audi is trying to catch up with BMW and Mercedes, in the transition to electric

Highlights

Currently, Audi India only makes internal combustion engines locally
Six out of 16 models in Audi India's offerings are electric cars
They are sold in the country priced between $136,000 and $234,000

Volkswagen-owned Audi's India unit said on Friday that any potential cut down on electric vehicle (EV) import taxes would help the German carmaker experiment better with models and pricing in the world's third-largest car market. "If we get a window of three to five years where the government is able to reduce the duties, it will let us experiment with what models make sense for India and help in terms of pricing points," Audi India head Balbir Singh Dhillon told Reuters on the sidelines of a showroom launch in Bengaluru.

Reuters reported last month that the Indian government is working on a new EV policy that would slash import taxes for automakers that commit to some local manufacturing.

Dhillon said that the India arm is in talks with the German parent to initiate assembling "some" of its electric cars locally, but declined to provide details on timeline or potential models.

Tata Motors Testing EVs in Global Markets, Plans to Open Dealerships in India

Audi is trying to catch up with its peers, BMW and Mercedes, in the transition to electric. Currently, the company's India arm only makes internal combustion engines locally, which are used in its petrol cars.

India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, said earlier in the week that the government will consult with the industry and come out with a new policy to attract greater EV investments.

The efforts come as India pushes towards greener mobility, with the government hoping to increase electric car sales to 30 percent by 2030 from current nascent levels of 2 percent. Of this, luxury EVs are a fraction.

Apple Now Offers Roadside Assistance via Satellite on iPhone: How It Works

After four models launched last month, six out of 16 models in Audi India's offerings are electric cars, which are entirely imported and sold in the country priced between $136,000 (roughly Rs. 1.12 crore) and $234,000 (roughly Rs. 1.94 crore).

Centre to Draft New Policy to Attract EV Investment: Piyush Goyal

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.