In this in-depth article, we are going to discuss about the electric cars available in India. We also have discussed the price, specs, and safety of these vehicles.
The variety of choices for electric cars in India is not that diversified. Right now the following electric cars are available in India:
- Tata Tigor EV
- Tata Nexon EV
- Mahindra e2oPlus
- Mahindra e-Verito
- Hyundai Kona Electric
So far, Tesla has not officially launched its cars in India. Elon Musk — CEO of Tesla — has said that due to high import tax, they are not interested in the Indian market right now. Even if you are a rabid Tesla fan and want a Tesla very bad, we do not recommend you to import a Tesla in India. The price might not be a concern to you, but service could be an issue and a significant headache in India.
Tata Tigor EV:
The new Tigor EV Extended Range offers a certified range of 213 km (132 miles), which is much higher than the previous Tigor EV variants offering 140 km (87 miles) of range. Also, the battery capacity has been increased from 16.2 kWh to 21.5 kWh, and the new Tigor EV has a higher ground clearance of 176 mm (6.9 inches).
Tigor EV Efficiency:
Tata Tigor EV is a very efficient car. According to official numbers, the Tigor EV can go 213 km / 21.5 kWh = 9.9 km per kWh (6.1 miles per kWh). However, in real-world scenarios, you won’t be able to travel 213 km per charge in this car. For example, in the previous Tigor EV model — which was rated for 140 km (87 miles) — we could hardly go 100 km (62 miles) in a single charge. Moreover, Tata sacrificed the performance of the EV for range.
The Tigor EV Extended Range comes in 3 variants.
- XE+
- XM+
- XT+
Tigor EV Price:
| Tigor EV Models | Price Including DPCC Incentives. |
| Tigor XE+ | 9,54,175 Rupees ($13,465) |
| Tigor XM+ | 9,70,868 Rupees ($13,701) |
| Tigor XT+ | 9,85,868 Rupees ($13,912) |
Note: Please contact the nearest Tata Motors dealer for exact prices.
Charging Options:
Tigor EV Extended Range has 2 charging options:
1. Regular AC Charging via 220 / 230 V AC single phase charger: Time taken for 0 to 100% charge is approximately 11.5 hours depending on ambient and battery temperature. The car can be plugged into any 15-ampere socket directly or to a 3-pin industrial/domestic outlet through an adaptor.
2. Fast DC Charging via any DC Fast Charger: Time taken for 0 to 80% charge is approximately 120 minutes depending on ambient and battery temperature.
Note: Tigor EV Extended Range comes with a regular 15 Ampere AC charger cable with an industrial socket.
Tata Tigor EV specifications:
| Specifications | |
| Battery Capacity | 21.5 kWh |
| Range | 213 km (132 miles) |
| Max Grade | 9.8 Degree |
| Max Vehicle Speed | 80 km/h (49.7 mph) |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm (96.5 inches) |
| Ground Clearance | 176 mm (6.9 inches) |
| Trunk space | 255 Liters (67 gallons) |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Vehicle Length | 3992 mm (157 inches) |
| Vehicle Width | 1677 mm (66 inches) |
| Vehicle Height | 1537 mm (60.5 inches) |
| Normal Charging Time (0%-100%) | 11.5 hrs |
| DC Fast Charging Time (0%-80% with 15 kW charger) | 2 hrs |
Problems with TATA Tigor EV:
Tata did not specify what type of battery cooling technology they are using in their EVs. This is a major concern for long term TATA Tigor ownership. Without any active battery cooling system, the EV battery would deteriorate very fast. Electric car battery does not die instantly; rather, it loses its charge capacity over time. Its called battery degradation. It’s true for all types of electronics batteries. For example, when new, your phone charges very quickly and holds the charge for a long time. However, after a few years, your phone would take a long time to charge and also will discharge very quickly. The same thing applies to TATA Tigor EV.
Nissan LEAF — pure EV mainly sold in the US — does not have any battery cooling system. As a result, its battery degrades quickly. In this article — Why Nissan Leaf Depreciates so much? — we found that battery degradation is the leading cause of this depreciation.
Note: In the Tata motors website, TATA suggests charging the Tigor EV up to 100% after a few short charge cycles. But we found that charging EV batteries up to 100% harms the battery and reduces its lifetime. We are not clear why TATA recommends it. Every EV manufacturer in the world, including Tesla, strongly prohibits doing it unless you really need it, for example, on a road trip.
TATA Nexon EV:
Nexon EV is an upcoming electric car. This car is superior to TATA Tigor EV. Nexon EV comes in 3 variants:
- NEXON EV XM
- NEXON EV XZ+
- NEXON EV XZ+ LUX
TATA Nexon EV Specifications:
| Specifications | |
| Battery Capacity | 30.2 kWh |
| Range | 300 km (186 miles) |
| Wheelbase | 2498 mm (98.3 inches) |
| Ground Clearance | 205 mm (8.1 inches) |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Vehicle Length | 3994 mm (157 inches) |
| Vehicle Width | 1811 mm (71.2 inches) |
| Vehicle Height | 1607 mm (63.2 inches) |
| Normal Charging Time (20%-100%) | 8 hr |
| DC Fast Charging Time (0%-80%) | 60 mins |
Unlike the Tata Tigor EV, Nexon EV battery is liquid-cooled and has 8 years or 160,000 km (approximately 1,00,000 miles) battery warranty, whichever comes first.
Tata Tigor EV and Nexon EV Safety Concern:
Both vehicle only comes with 2 front airbags. There are no knee airbags, no seat-mounted side airbags, no curtain airbags, no door-mounted airbags, no rear seat passenger airbags. This isn’t very reassuring. This Tigor EV and Nexon EV is not a safe vehicle at all. In case of any side collision, the vehicle passengers will suffer serious injuries.
Mahindra e2oPlus:
Developed over the e2o platform, the Mahindra e2oPlus is a four-door electric hatchback.
Mahindra e2o Plus comes in 3 variants:
- P2
- P4
- P6
Mahindra e2oPlus Specifications:
| Specifications | P2 | P4 / P6 |
| Range | 140 km | 110 km |
| Battery | 15 kWh | 11 kWh |
| Top Speed | 80 km/h (49.7 miles) | 80 km/h (49.7 miles) |
| Seating Capacity | 4 | 4 |
| Ground Clearance | 6.7 inches | 6.7 inches |
| Length | 141 inches | 141 inches |
| Width | 62 inches | 62 inches |
| Height | 62.4 inches | 62.4 inches |
| Boot space (Trunk space) | 135 liters (35.6 gallons) | 135 liters (35.6 gallons) |
| Max Grade | 10 inches | 10 inches |
Battery and Car warranty:
Every e2oPlus comes with 3 years or 60,000 km (whichever comes first) battery and a car warranty.
No Airbags in e2oPlus:
Don’t be surprised that Mahindra e2oPlus does not have any airbags. In the event of front or side collision, this vehicle does not provide any kind of safety. A seatbelt is not enough in case of an accident.
Do you know that Mahindra launched the e2o electric car in the UK but later postponed all sales over there? They also bought back all the vehicles they sold over there. We do understand that because of poor sales numbers, Mahindra had pulled the plug of e2o electric from the UK market. But you may be wondering why Mahindra bought back all e2o cars. We believe it’s because of fear of a class-action lawsuit. This car lacks safety severely. Any death occurring from this vehicle would cause a major lawsuit against this company, prompting not only financial but also a PR nightmare for this company worldwide.
No Liquid Battery Cooling system:
Mahindra e2oPlus does not have any active liquid battery cooling system. Without this cooling system, its battery will degrade faster and will lose range in the process. The 3 Years / 60,000 km battery warranty is not enough for long term ownership.
Mahindra e-Verito:
Mahindra e-Verito comes in 2 variants:
- D2
- D6
e-Verito Price:
The prices of these models are given below. However, always contact your nearest dealer for the latest prices.
| e-Verito Models | Price after incentives |
| D2 | 10,15,521 Rupees ($14,340) |
| D6 | 10,49,302 Rupees ($14,816) |
Mahindra e-Verito Specifications:
| Specifications | D2 / D6 |
| Range (MIDC) | 181 km (112.4 miles) |
| Battery Capacity | 21.2 kWh |
| Top Speed | 86 km/h (53.4 mph) |
| Max Grade | 9.7 inches |
| Ground Clearance | 171 mm (8.8 inches) |
| Length | 4247 mm (167.2 inches) |
| Width | 1740 mm (68.5 inches) |
| Height | 1540 mm (60.6 inches) |
| Boot space (Truck Space) | 510 liters (135 gallons) |
| Normal Charging Time (0-100%) | 11 hours 30 min |
| DC Fast Charging (0-80%) | 1 hour 30 min |
Note: Every Indian EV makers provide a performance speed rating for 0-60km/h, which is misleading. This is not an industry-standard measuring criterion. The industry-standard measuring criterion is 0-60 mph or 0-100km/h timing.
Hyundai Kona Electric:
In the Indian market, Hyundai Kona Electric is the best electric SUV right now. Though the price is high compared to other EV, the performance of this electric car is far better than other Indian EVs.
Kona Electric Price:
To check the latest price and incentives, please visit your nearest Hyundai dealer or give them a call. However, In New Delhi, according to a dealer, the prices are following-
| Variants | Prices |
| Electric Premium | 2,371,858 Rupees ($33,460) |
| Electric Premium Dual tone | 2,390,608 Rupees ($33,724) |
We do believe that Hyundai Kona is way overpriced. For comparison, a Tesla Model 3 starts at $35,000 (You need to call Tesla for this price) has superior mileage, design, and technology features than Hyundai Kona electric.
Hyundai Kona Electric Specifications:
| Range | 452 km (281 miles) |
| 0-100 km/h Acceleration | 9.7 seconds. |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Battery | 39.2 kWh |
| AC Charging (0-100%) | Approximately 6 h 10 min |
| DC Fast Charging (0-80%) @50 kW speed | Approximately 57 min |
| Length | 4,180 mm (164.5 inches) |
| Width | 1,800 mm (70.9 inches) |
| Height | 1,570 mm (61.8 inches) |
| Drag Co-efficient | 0.29 Cd. |
Hyundai Kona comes with an 8 Years/160,000 km (99419 miles) battery warranty.
Safety:
With six airbags, Kona Electric has superior safety features compared to other EVs available in India.
Conclusion:
We really do want electric cars to succeed in India. But it is an Indian car manufacturer who has to step up the game. However, so far, TATA and Mahindra only made some electric vehicles that are not that good enough. The safety and reliability of these vehicles are not satisfactory.
Frequently Asked Questions Answered:
What happens if my electric car runs out of battery charge?
First of all, never allow this to happen. Repeated battery depletion to 0% will severely harm your car’s Lithium-ion battery and onboard electronics. But for any reason, if this happens on the road during travel, pull over to the side of the road. Call a tow company to tow your car to the nearest charging stations to recharge your electric vehicle.
Do electric cars pollute more?
In India, pollution is a significant concern. Electric vehicles could help to reduce this pollution. However, there is an anti EV sentiment too. That’s why seldom you may hear from people that EV pollutes more than a diesel or gasoline cars. Their reasoning is that electric cars run on electricity. We produce electricity from gas or coal. So, this produced electricity is not clean. Therefore, electric vehicles are also not environmentally friendly. We have written an article — Do Electric Cars Pollute More? — where we have shown that even if we produce all our electricity from coal and gas, electric vehicles would be 50% cleaner than a diesel or gasoline vehicle.
Which is the best electric car in India?
From our experience, Hyundai Kona electric is the best electric car in India right now. However, this EV is overpriced, according to our opinion.
