Tata Motors is gearing up for the launch of an updated version of its popular electric car Nexon EV. Slated to launch in mid-2022, the Nexon EV facelift will reportedly come with a bigger battery pack and improved driving range among other upgrades.
According to Autocar, Tata has changed the Nexon EV’s floor pan and sacrificed a part of the EV’s boot to accommodate the updated battery on the offering. The changes will boost the Nexon EV's driving and take it to over 400 km in a single charge. Tata will also add a selectable re-gen mode that will allow the driver to adjust the intensity of regenerative braking. The upgrades may also feature a few cosmetic touches but a drastic change to Nexon EV’s design is very unlikely.
These upgrades are expected to push up the cost by an estimated Rs 3-4 lakh and the EV is expected to cost around Rs 17 lakh-18 lakh.
The current Nexon EV packs a 30.2 kWh battery offering a claimed range of 312 km but in the real-world situation, the delivered range is lesser than that. However, Tata’s aggressive price to range ratio and subsidies provided by various state governments for the purchase of EVs has played a key role in Nexon EV’s success.
The EV is currently the bestselling electric car in the Indian market and accounts for close to 60 percent of the segment’s sales. With a promising range of other EVs slated to enter the Indian market in 2022, Tata Motors will be looking to assert its dominance through Nexon. However, the planned EV launches will surely spice up the competition in the segment. Here’s we look at some of the upcoming EVs in the Indian market.
Hyundai Kona
Hyundai Kona has been one of the first entrants in the Indian EV segment. However, the car’s sales haven’t been promising. Despite an impressive feature offering, Kona’s sale numbers have been disappointing in recent years but that could change in 2022. The proposed next-gen version of Hyundai Kona will reportedly come with a price cut to match the competition in the segment. The current version of Kona is available at starting price of Rs 24 lakh.
MG ZS EV 2022
British automaker MG will introduce an updated version of its ZS EV in the Indian market around mid-2022. The upcoming EV is going to get similar design upgrades as its ICE equivalent, MG Astor, and is expected to arrive with upgrades like the introduction of AI technology to give it an edge over competitors. The price of MG ZS EV 202 could be around Rs 22 lakh.
Tata Altroz EV
Part of Tata’s aggressive plans for the EV segment, Altrov, will enter the market this year. The upcoming EV will reportedly use Tata’s Ziptron technology that consists of an IP67 certified lithium battery and a permanent magnet AC motor. Tata Alztroz EV could be priced in the same range as Nexon EV.
Mahindra XUV 300 EV
The emerging Indian EV market could also see the entry of Mahindra in this space. The company is reportedly planning to unveil an electric version of its popular mid-size compact SUV XUV 300 towards the latter half of 2022. The XUV 300 electric concept was first unveiled at the Auto Expo in 2020. Mahindra XUV 300 EV is likely to come with aggressive pricing to take on other electric cars in the sub Rs 20 lakh price segment.
Volvo XC 40
Volvo has made its plan to enter the EV space public in the global market and its entry in the Indian EV space could happen with an electric version of XC 40. Rumoured to be named XC 40 Recharge, the EV technically be an electric motor offering of the IEC SUV that’s currently being sold in the market. The XC recharge is expected to come with a driving range of over 400 km. An official confirmation regarding the launch and specification is still awaited.
