The Indian market currently has only four fully electric vehicles on sale, but things could possibly change with a range of EVs expected to launch in the near future
Given the growing shift towards electric mobility across the entire globe, manufacturers want a piece of the pie, and hence, all of them are either currently developing or enhancing their respective EV platforms, or are soon going to launch their own EVs.
Considering the Indian market is one of the biggest automobile industries, many new EVs would be brought here in the near future. Here is a list of five of the most highly anticipated fully electric cars in the Indian market –
1. Tata Altroz EV
Tata Motors has already launched fully electric versions of two of its cars, namely Tigor and more recently, Nexon. Now, the manufacturer is working on launching an EV based on another car i.e. the Altroz hatchback. Tata showcased the production-spec car at the 2020 Auto Expo in February, and a launch is expected in early 2021.
Tata hasn’t yet revealed the specifications of the Altroz EV, but we do know that it will be borrowing majority of its traits from the donor car. If everything goes as planned, the Altroz EV will become the first fully-electric premium hatchback in the Indian market upon its arrival.
2. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV
Maruti Suzuki is considering launching a fully-electric version of the Wagon R in the country and in October of 2018, the company sent off 50 Japanese-spec Wagon R EVs from its Gurugram facility in various parts of the country, to be tested in different weathers and terrains.
However, we expect the production-ready Wagon R to be based on the ICE Wagon R currently available on sale in the country. The Wagon R EV could be priced under the Rs 10 lakh mark, thus making it one of the most affordable electric cars in the country, upon launch. The Wagon R EV will directly rival Mahindra’s e-KUV100 in India.
3. Mahindra XUV300 Electric
Mahindra & Mahindra is currently working on bringing a fully electric version of the XUV300 sub-4m SUV, which will directly rival the Tata Nexon EV in the Indian market. The carmaker did showcase the EV in India in a concept form, at the 2020 Auto Expo earlier this year. However, we expect the XUV300 Electric to be launched only by the end of next year.
The XUV300 EV will likely offer a range of at least 350 km on a single charge, and will be capable of fast charging. In terms of design, we expect the electric SUV to feature some distinctive styling elements over its ICE counterpart, including a covered grille, new alloy wheels as well as some blue touches here and there. Mahindra will likely price the XUV300 Electric around the Rs 15 lakh mark.
4. Renault Kwid EV
Renault retails a fully-electric version of the Kwid hatchback in the Chinese market, which is dubbed the City KZ-E. Hence, if the carmaker does bring the EV to India, it could go on to become the most affordable electric vehicle in the Indian market.
The carmaker did showcase the City K-ZE at the 2020 Auto Expo, which means that the carmaker did want to gauge the public response towards the car. The said car came equipped with a 26.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, and came with a driving range of 271 km. However, Renault India could tone that down a bit to keep the price in check. Also, if launched at a reasonable price, the Renault Kwid EV could be a real game changer.
5. Kia Soul EV
Kia Motors has had wonderful innings in the Indian market till now, entering with the game-changing mid-size SUV Seltos, and then following up with the luxurious Carnival MPV. Now, the carmaker is considering bringing its Soul EV to the Indian market, after the sub-4m SUV Sonet is launched this year.
Manohar Bhat, VP Head- Sales and Marketing, Kia Motors India confirmed while talking to a different publication that the carmaker is considering bringing the ICE version of the Soul to the country. However, its electric version isn’t planned for a launch here just now, but could definitely follow if the demand is right.
The Soul is one of the most popular Kia cars, especially in the North American market. Talking about its electric version, the Soul EV shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Kona electric, and hence making it easier to bring the car to the Indian market.