The jury is still out on whether electric vehicles are truly more environment-friendly than the traditional petrol-diesel vehicles. On the internet, you can find scores of pieces, all backed by some purported scientific study, for and against the EVs. There are indeed some question marks over the impact of EV batteries on the environment. But it can be said, as of now, EVs seem far less polluting than their combustion engine counterparts.
So a day after the world environment day, we have come up with a list of 5 four-wheeler EVs in India that can be of interest to those wanting to give it a shot. We have gone for different price ranges so that we can cover a broad spectrum.
While plenty of new models are in the pipeline from various brands, as things stand now, the options are a bit limited for Indians when it comes to 4-wheeler EVs. There are only around 17 models on offer (some of them variants), and a couple of them have limited numbers on sale. Upcoming electric cars in India include Volvo XC40 Recharge, Mahindra eKUV100 and Tata Altroz EV among others.
We have consciously left out EVs that are priced above Rs one crore. If you can afford a car for that price, you can as well import it directly (which in a sense what some of the brands are themselves doing as they have taken the CBU route.)
Strom Motors R3
Okay, our very first car is not a 4-wheeler. It is the three-wheeled Strom Motors R3. This fully electric 2-door 2-seater comes with a large sun-roof, and is meant for personal commute within the city. The single wheel is at the rear, and it has a 15kW electric motor, and its top speed is 80kmph. It has a top range of 200kms and a mileage of Rs 0.40/KM. Two other models with the ranges of 120kms and 160kms are also on offer. Its display is a triple touchscreen interface with gesture and voice controls.
The three-wheeled EV is priced at Rs 4.5 lakh (ex-showroom), and is the cheapest in the market now.
Tata Tigor EV
As a conventional 4-wheeled EV in the market, this budget offering from Tata Motors is the lowest priced. Its available in the price range between Rs 11.99 – 13.14 lakh, as there are three trims --- XE, XM, and XZ+ --- on offer. The compact electric sedan has a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor and 26 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, which give an output of 75PS/170Nm. The EV can be charged from 0-80% in 8.5 hours using a standard wall charger and in 60 minutes using a fast charger. The ARAI-claimed range for the Tata Tigor EV stands at 306km.
It comes with a 7-inch Harman touchscreen along with four speakers and an equal number of tweeters. Safety features include ABS with EBD, dual front airbags, and hill ascent/descent control.
Tata Nexon EV Max
This is the extension of India's top selling EV Tata Nexon. The new Nexon EV Max is powered by high voltage state-of-the-art Ziptron technology and is available in two trim options – the Nexon EV Max XZ+ and Nexon EV Max XZ+ Lux.
Equipped with a 40.5 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, the Nexon EV Max offers 33% higher battery capacity, delivering an ARAI certified range of 437 km (under standard testing conditions), which ensures uninterrupted inter-city travel. The Nexon EV MAX produces 105 kW (143 PS) of power and delivers an instant torque of 250 Nm, resulting in 0 to 100 sprint times in under 9 secs.
The Nexon EV Max is available with options of a 3.3 kW charger or a 7.2 kW AC fast charger. The 7.2 kW AC fast charger can be installed either at home or at workplace, which helps in reducing charging time to 6.5 hrs. The Nexon EV MAX supports a faster charging time of 0 – 80% in just 56 mins from any 50 kW DC fast charger.
Tata Nexon EV Max price starts at Rs 17.74 lakh and goes upto Rs 19.24 lakh (Avg. ex-showroom).
MG ZS EV
The MG ZS electric SUV 2022 is a tweaked version of its ICE counterpart, the MG Astor. First launched in 2020, the ZS EV was the company's first electric SUV in the country.It comes in 2 variants – Excite and Exclusive – priced Rs 21.99 lakh and Rs 25.88 lakh, respectively (both prices ex-showroom). While the bookings for the Exclusive variant are already on, bookings for the Excite variant will start from July 2022.
The updated battery pack is said to carry a range of 461 km when fully charged. The 44.5kWh battery pack from the older ZS EV has been swapped for a larger 50.3kWh battery back, which offers 42 km more.
The new MG ZS EV sports slimmer headlights with LED DRLs, an updated front section that replaces the grille, sporty detailing on the front and rear bumpers, and new 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the new ZS EV has a faux carbon fibre trim on the dash, revised climate control buttons, a new 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a new 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, amongst others.
Kia EV6
This is the newest kid in the block, as it were. It was launched in India just the last week and will be available from Spetember. But the company is importing it as CBUs, and hence only 100 units are on offer in the first lot.
Kia EV6 electric crossover is available in India in two trims - GT Line RWD and GT Line AWD. The GT Line RWD is priced at Rs 59.95 lakh, while the GT Line AWD is priced at Rs 64.95 lakh.
The EV6 sporty crossover is being offered with the 77.4kWh battery pack with a claimed range of up to 528km on a single charge. Its single-motor RWD variant packs 229PS and 350Nm of performance and peak range, while the dual-motor AWD version offers slightly less range but ups the sportiness with 325PS and 605Nm.
Kia EV6 has a charging capacity of up to 350kW, a 50kW DC fast charger can top the battery from 10 to 80% in 1 hour 13 minutes. Using a home socket, it will take 36 hours for a full charge, so Kia offers a 22kW home charger for the buyers of the EV6.
