Initially, Renault will localise the Kwid EV to an extent of 55 to 60 per cent; could have a range of over 300 km in a single charge
Renault India will introduce a brand new electric car in the domestic market within the next year and a half and it has been confirmed by the brand’s Managing Director. The Kwid nameplate will be used, as previously expected, and it will be priced below Rs. 10 lakh to compete against the top-selling Tata Tiago EV, Citroen eC3 and MG Comet.
Venkatram Mamillapalle, Managing Director of Renault India, has said in an interview that his brand is going ahead with its electrification strategy and that the India-specific model will be underpinned by the CMF-A architecture. He further noted that it will be launched in 2024 or 2025 and the French auto major is pushing to bring it “at the earliest”.
Initially, Renault will localise the Kwid EV to an extent of 55 to 60 per cent and is looking to locally source the battery pack and associated components as competitive pricing is one of the key USPs of the brand. Mamillapalle is hopeful of finalising the localisation of battery cells in the coming years as he aims for the EV to carry a local content of up to 90 per cent.
More specifically, the electric vehicle will sit on the modified version of Kwid’s platform and it will have a redesigned exterior to differentiate itself from its ICE sibling. It will likely have a reworked headlamp cluster and grille, updated front and rear bumpers, new tail lamps, etc. The electric version of the Kwid has been on sale in the international markets for many years.
The global Kwid EV boasts a flat floor and tweaks to the suspension and chassis were made to nest the battery pack. In the European market, the electric hatchback (also sold as Dacia Spring) uses a modest 26.8 kWh battery pack and the power output stands at 44 hp and 125 Nm. It has a claimed driving range of 295 km on the WLTP cycle and we can expect the range to be over 300 km in a single charge.
Renault-Nissan alliance has big plans for the Indian market over the next two to three years as a host of new models are waiting in the pipeline.