Despite the fact that the Indian government has backtracked on its 2030 electric vehicle mission, a number of automobile manufacturers in the country are pushing forward towards an all-electric future and have started releasing a slew of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. While the list of electric vehicles is still a bit too short with just two cars currently available in the market, there are quite a few options to choose from when it comes to hybrids vehicles. If you’re currently in the market for an electric car or are considering it as a viable option for a future purchase, here’s a list of all the electric cars available in India, along with a few electric vehicles that are expected to be launched soon and a list of all the hybrid vehicles you can buy right now:
1. Hyundai Kona
Hyundai has launched its Kona Electric SUV in India at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 25.30 lakh. Hyundai Kona is shaping to be India’s first real electric SUV and the company is marketing it as such. Talking about the specs, Hyundai Kona is powered by a 39.2 kWh battery pack with liquid-cooling technology that has an ARAI-certified range of 452 Km on a single charge. It offers a peak power of 134 bhp, max torque of 395 Nm, and does 0-100 kmph in 9.7 seconds. The car offers different driving modes including Eco+, Eco, Comfort, and Sport.
Interested buyers can get this car via select Hyundai dealership. At launch, the car will be sold through 15 select dealerships in 11 cities around the country. The car is being sold in India as a CBU (completely built unit) import, that means the car is totally assembled outside the country and imported for sale here. That’s why it’s price a little on the higher side as CBU cars have higher import duty. Nevertheless, the Hyundai Kona is the first electric car which has piqued the interest of many buyers in India and I have no doubt it will sell in good numbers.
While you might spot a Tata Tigor Electric in the wild today, the company is currently only selling the electric variant of the Tigor directly to the state-run Energy Efficiency Service Limited (EESL). However, recent reports suggest that the company is mulling over plans to bring it to private buyers sometime later in 2019, which is great news for the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country.
That said, I don’t have much hope for this car as it’s specs are pretty underwhelming. It is powered by a 72V, 3-Phase AC induction motor which brings about 41 PS and 105 Nm of power. The car can go from 0-60 kmph in 12s and has a top speed of 80 kmph. The car has an expected range of 142 km thanks to the smaller 16.2 kWh battery. The battery can be charged to 80 per cent of its capacity in six hours via a normal charger or in 1.5 hours by a fast charger.
The Mahindra e2o Plus, which is the direct successor of yesteryear’s Reva-i, is a compact four-door all electric hatchback which is powered by a 19KW motor that draws juice from a 48-cell 11KWhr lithium-ion battery. Mahindra Electric claims that the car can run 110kms on a single charge, with the top-end variant boasting a range of 140kms, thanks to a bigger 15KWhr lithium-ion battery. In order to combat range anxiety, Mahindra has also included a patented ‘Revive’ feature which will give users an additional 5km range in case they run out of charge in the middle of a commute.
The Mahindra eVerito is an all-electric version of the company’s four-door Verito sedan which is powered by a 31KW motor and a 69-cell 13.91KWhr lithium-ion battery. Much like the e2o Plus, the eVerito boasts of a 110km range, with the top-end variant going up to 140kms due to the bigger 18.55KWhr lithium-ion battery. Mahindra has also included the patented ‘Revive’ feature with the eVerioto, however, in this case the company offers an addition 8km range in case the driver runs out of juice in the middle of a commute.
1. Audi A3 e-tron
The Audi A3 e-tron is still being called as a concept car however many sources have revealed that this car will be coming to India sooner rather than later. According to Audi’s website, the car will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and produces up to 320 kW of power (boosting up to 370 kW). It will also have a range of 500 kilometers making this perfect for everyday use and more.
Mercedes-Benz EQC is the company’s answer to the Audio-eTron that we have discussed above. I think Mercedes has a winner on its hands here as the car not only looks good but is also bringing quite powerful specs. First of all, Mercedes is claiming a range of 445-471 kms which is really good. The car also brings a 4Matic (fully variable 4-wheel drive) which will result in both better power and better control. The EQC make a combined 402 bhp of peak power and 765 Nm of peak torque which means the car is going to be super fast.
As per the company the Mercedes-Benz EQC can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds. This is great especially when you consider the fact that the Mercedes-Benz EQC is company’s first ever electric car to go under mass production. Talking about the looks, I mean just look at the pictures. The car looks absolutely gorgeous. Both the interior and exterior of the car are just amazing. You can see more pictures of the car by clicking the link below. The Mercedes-Benz EQC is set to be available by the end of the year in India with prices starting at around 65 lakh.
Earlier this month reports revealed that Tata Motors is supplying Nano body shells to Jayem Automobiles which has sparked speculations that the companies will soon launch an electric version of the popular people’s car. The Tata Nano Electric, which is also being referred to as the Jayem Neo, is expected to start shipping sometime later this year, however, the first batch of 400 cars will be delivered to cab aggregator Ola on the day of launch.
As of now, we don’t know the exact specifications of the Tata Nano Electric, but it’s speculated that the car will be powered by a 48-volt electric motor and will offer a range of 200km on a single charge. It is also speculated that the Tata Nano Electric will be launched at around Rs. 5 lakh, which will make it the cheapest electric car in the Indian market. So far, judging by reports, the Nano Electric or the Jayem Neo has been spotted in Hyderabad with Ola’s stickers on it, but there’s still no concrete reports on when consumers will be able to buy it.
The pre-production version of the Tata Tiago Electric made its debut at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year, featuring a liquid-cooled 85KW motor which will give the car a top speed of 135kmph. The upcoming electric car will do 0-100kmph in under 11 seconds and will offer a range of over 100km on a single charge.
Mahindra debuted the electric variant of its compact SUV, the KUV100, at the 2018 Auto Expo last year. The Mahindra eKUV is powered by a 30KW motor, the same motor which powers Mahindra’s eVerito sedan, and is expected to have a range of 140km. Pawan Goenka, the managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra has confirmed that the all-electric version of its entry-level offering, the KUV100, will go on sale in mid-2019.
One of the newest electric vehicle announced by Tata is the “Tata Altroz” which is said to be released by the end of 2020. In fact, Tata has already released a footage of test-drive of Altroz. That said, the car is complete camouflaged so we don’t have any idea as to what we can expect in the looks department. One thing to note here is that Altroz will be released in both fuel and electric variants so we don’t now which model was being tested.
People who are familiar with the car will remember that the car was first unveiled in the 2019 Geneva Motor show. Altorz is based on Tata’s ALFA architecture (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) which is company’s latest car architecture which aims at making cars agile, versatile, and advanced. The company has not released any details about its specs or pricing so you will have to wait it out. We do know that the Altroz EV is set to release sometime in 2020.
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MG eZS is an electric SUV by MG Motor (Morris Garages), which the company is planning to release in India by the end of 2019 or early 2020. When launched, this will only be the second vehicle released by MG Motor in India. The company showcased the MG eZS back in April 2019 and has promised that it will have a range of 300 kms on a single charge.
Nissan Leaf is the best selling electric car in the world and the company is now bringing it and the updated Nissan Leaf e+ models to India. The new updated Nissan Leaf e+ model not only brings a higher capacity battery pack but also a more powerful motor. The Nissan Leaf has a 40 kWh battery which offers a range of up to 270 km on a single charge while the Nissan Leaf e+ has a 65 kWh battery that should cover ~385 km before needing a charge.
9. Maruti Wagon R EV
Maruti, the biggest card brand in India, is planning to launch fordable electric cars in India. While most of the electric cars unveiled for India cost around 20 lakh mark, Maruti is planning to launch its Wagon R EV at a starting price of INR 10 lakhs. While, this is not cheap when compared to its petrol version which starts around 4.5 lakh, it is significantly cheaper than the competition. Image courtesy: AUTOCAR
Talking about the premium electric cars, Jaguar I-Pace is one of the most anticipated electric cars to come to India. Despite being an electric car, the Jaguar I-Pace brings all the design excellence and creature comforts that the brand is know for. Jaguar I-Pace is an SUV which brings a great combination of performance and luxury. When it comes to range, Jaguar I-Pace delivers with a range of 385 km.
While there aren’t many all-electric options in the country to choose from, if you’re looking to buy a ‘greener’ car then you can go for one from the vast selection of hybrid cars available in the market today. Here’s a list of all the hybrid vehicles available in the country right now:
1. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga SHVS
The Toyota Camry Hybrid is a luxury sedan from the Japanese manufacturer which is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, coupled with a 6.5Ahr Nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The hybrid system on the Camry features a permanent magnet synchronous motor rated at a max voltage of 650V, which can deliver a maximum output of 151kW in the Eco and EV modes. The hybrid system reduces fuel consumption and increases the car’s mileage to 19.16kmpl, which is pretty great for a luxury sedan.
Price: Rs. 45.09 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
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6. Lexus RX 450h
Another great hybrid offering from Lexus is the NX 300h compact luxury SUV which is powered by a 2.5-liter petrol engine coupled with two permanent magnet synchronous motors that offer a max output of 105kW (front) and 50kW (rear). Much like the rest of the Lexus hybrids, the NX 300h also makes use of a nickel-metal hydride battery which has 204 cells. The regenerative hybrid system on the Lexus NX 300h assists the engine and improves the car’s mileage to 18.3kmph, while reducing CO2 emissions to 139g/km.
Price: Rs. 43.21 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
Price: Rs. 96.65 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
Price: Rs. 2.62 Crore (ex-showroom Delhi)
Even though it may take some time for India to go all-electric, it’s an accepted truth that electric vehicles are the future and the country needs to change in order to preserve natural resources and work towards a cleaner, greener future for the coming generations. While currently there aren’t many all-electric options to choose from, the Indian automobile landscape is swiftly changing and we expect more automobile manufacturers to release all-electric cars in the market. Until then, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can choose from the aforementioned list of electric or hybrid cars and do your part to ensure that the future isn’t all that bleak.
