In January, Bajaj Auto made a comeback into the scooter segment with the launch of the Chetak EV. Priced at Rs 1 lakh, ex-showroom for sale in Pune and Bengaluru only, the electric scooter garnered enough interest for the company to record over 2,000 bookings within just 15 days of its launch. The scooter features a 3kWh battery powering 4,080W motor at peak that generates 16Nm of torque. Both the battery and the motor are IP67 rated with a charging time of five hours for 100 percent and one hour gets you to approximately 25 percent charge. The range per charge, as indicated by Bajaj, stands at 95 km in Eco mode and 85 km in Sport. The Chetak charger comes complimentary with the vehicle and the installation is done by a trained technician at the customer's home. As things stand at present, the Chetak is manufactured at the Chakan plant which has been permitted to resume manufacturing by the government officials. However, the initial hiccups in getting the entire supply chain and dealership outlets to open up without a glitch and function smoothly could result in delays of the final production process and deliveries to customers.
Bengaluru-based electric scooter maker Ather Energy launched the new 450X at Rs 1.59 lakh in February which runs on a non-removable 2.9kWh unit that can slow charge to 80 percent in 3.5 hours. Based on the subscription plan, you can choose a range of 66 km, 75 km or 85 km. The only catch is that this scooter, like the Chetak, is available in Delhi and Bengaluru only at present.
Moving on to the upcoming electric two-wheelers, Hero Electric showcased its first premium electric motorcycle, the AE-47, at the Auto Expo earlier this year. This motorcycle will be powered by a 3.5kWh lithium-ion battery with a range of 85 km possible in power mode and 160 km on eco mode. The motorcycle is expected to be priced around the Rs 1.2–1.5 lakh bracket and was first expected to launch in the second half of this year but as per the latest reports, Hero Electric has decided to postpone this motorcycle for 2021.
After receiving tremendous success with its first offering in India, MG Motors took up a commendable challenge of offering the MG ZS EV in India. The ZS EV was launched in a phased manner across the country starting at Rs 20.88 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. This EV comes with a 44.5kW lithium-ion battery pack which packs in 142PS of max power & 353Nm of max torque. MG Motors claims the ZS EV offers a driving range of 340 km which is made possible in a single charge cycle with a 7.4kW AC charger. There’s also an option of fast charging with a 50kW charger which allows 80 percent within 50 minutes. To address range anxiety MG has set-up 50kW DC fast chargers at set dealerships across the country that can render an 80 percent charge in just 50 minutes. Additionally, a 7.4kW AC charger, which the company will install at the customer’s home/office, can replenish the battery within six-eight hours. The automaker is even providing an on-board cable that can be plugged into any 15 amp wall socket; charging this way though would take over 12 hours for a full charge.
One of the most awaited electric vehicles for 2020 was the Tata Nexon EV, India’s first long-range electric vehicle priced very attractively at Rs 13.99 lakh, ex-showroom, pan-India. The Nexon EV's lithium-ion battery is of 30.2kWh capacity and feeds a permanent-magnet AC motor that puts out 129PS and 245Nm through the front wheels. The liquid-cooled battery is placed in the Nexon's floor and has an IP67 dust and water resistance capability, among the highest of the kind. The ARAI-claimed driving range is 312 km on a full charge which with a DC fast charger takes close to 60 minutes to reach 80 percent charge capacity. The car can also be plugged into any standard power socket, which takes eight hours to get from 20 to 80 percent charge. The battery and motor carry a warranty of eight years/1,60,000 km.
There are three more electric vehicles coming from Tata Motors in the next 8-12 months. We do know that the Altroz EV was the next hatchback in the pipeline and possibly a longer-range version of the Tigor EV which we estimate might bump up the driving range to 180-250 km. We do know that the Altroz EV will use Tata’s Ziptron power train and the lithium-ion battery pack has a target range of 250-300 km. It can be charged to 80 percent in 60 minutes with a DC fast charger.
Mahindra& Mahindra promised to bring in an affordable EV into the market with the focus being on shared mobility. Delivering on that promise was the eKUV100 in its production guise at the Auto Expo in February at a very attractive price of Rs 8.25 lakh. What we do know is that this car would deliver a range of 130-150 km on a single charge. Power comes from a 40kW electric motor that churns out 53PS & 120NM of torque. The battery is most likely to be a 15.9kW unit which can be brought to full charge in approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes while with a DC fast charger it could speed up the charge time to 55 minutes. This compact SUV was expected to go on sale by mid-2020, let’s hope the lockdown timelines don’t delay the production & deliveries of this EV too much.
A few months ago during one of our interactions, Audi India promised us the e-tron SUV and it was expected to launch this year. While this SUV will be positioned between the Q5 and Q7 SUVs, we do know it is powered by a liquid-cooled 95kW lithium-ion battery between two axels. This powers two electric motors, one on each axle, for a combined output of 265 kW and 561 Nm and AWD capabilities. This lets the electric SUV get from zero to 100 kmph in 6.6s and on to a 200 kmph top speed. A boost function is available which increases outputs to 300 kW and 664 Nm and drops the acceleration time to 5.7 seconds. Promising a driving range of 400 km, the SUV could be charged using a regular 11 kWh AC charger in 8.5 hours or an optional 22 kWh fast charger which would charge the car in 4.5 hours or even better an option to charge with a 150 kWh AC charger which would charge to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. Audi India will be bringing the e-tron as a CBU so let’s hope we see it on our shores this year.
In January, Mercedes-Benz launched EQ its electric mobility brand in India and under that umbrella, we expect to see the launch of the EQC SUV once the lockdown lifts completely. This will be the German’s first electric offering in India to keep in line with the brands focus on sustainable mobility for the future.
Jaguar announced they would be launching the first fully electric performance SUV, I-Pace in India in the second half of 2020. Built with inputs from its Formula-E motorsport learnings, the I-Pace gets a 90kWh battery and two motors to drive the wheel which essentially makes the crossover an all-wheel-drive vehicle. The motor churns out 400PS and 696Nm of torque. This crossover is expected to do more than 500 km on a single charge which would take around 90 minutes to complete an 80 percent charge cycle, claims the British marque. This electric crossover is expected to retain its Jaguar essence in every sense.