KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Curvv.ev comes with two battery packs of 45 kWh & 55 kWh
- The larger battery pack gets ARAI certified range of 585km.
- Tata claims 90% of users will get 400km under real world conditions
One of the most awaited electric vehicles of 2024 is the Tata Curvv.ev. Launched from Rs 17.5 lakh onwards, not only does it look great, the range offered from the 55 kWh battery pack is impressive enough. During our media drive event in Udaipur few weeks back, I decided to test out the car's real world range as well. Does it cross the 400km mark without a recharge? Before we move further, make sure to join our 91Wheels Whatsapp Channel, specifically curated for all the avid petrolheads with extensive coverage of the latest news and insights from the automotive space.
Topping up the battery
Before setting off from our hotel, I fully charged the battery. This was done via a Tata Power unit installed in the hotel's parking lot.
With a full 100% charge, the display showed a range of 400km in 'City' mode and 424km once I swiched to the 'Eco' mode. I used this mode for the entire journey to get the max from the battery pack.
Route & Driving conditions
The entire driving distance including about 25% urban and rural roads and the rest was done on a highway with both empty sections as well as busy ones. A/C was kept on for most of the time. Two people were on board and about 25kg of luggage in the boot. The tyre pressure was set to the recommended levels.
Battery levels & Distance covered
Here are some screen grabs from the video shot during the range test of the Tata Curvv.ev 55 version.
Above : Battery used : 14%
Distance : 63km
Efficiency : 138 Wh/km
Range at this efficiency : 398km
Above: Battery used : 23%
Distane : 100km
Efficiency : 125 Wh/km
Range at this efficiency : 440km
As you can see above, at the 100km mark, the Curvv.ev 55 was returning an efficiency of 125 Wh/km. This was an improvement over what we saw at the 63km mark. However, this was due to the fact that post Udaipur, we were losing elevation, and gravity helped us a lot. Would this remain until the end? See for yourself below!
Above: Battery used : 50%
Distance: 215.8km
Efficiency: 126 Wh/km
Range with this efficiency: 436km
Until the 50% mark, I retained the same impressive efficiency levels. We had taken a U-turn back to Udaipur a while back and would be gaining elevation now. Would the Curvv EV still be efficient enough at the usual highway speeds of 80-85km/h?
Above: Battery used : 73%
Distance: 298.4km
Efficiency: 133 Wh/km
Range with this efficiency: 413km
As expected, due to gain in elevation, the efficiency consumption increased to 133 Wh/km or a range of 413km. However, do note, our speeds were 85-90km/h now. We were nearing Udaipur and I wanted to cross the 400km mark at all costs. The air-con was still on and rain gods had taken a break.
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Above: Battery used : 90%
Distance: 379.1km
Efficiency: 128 Wh/km
Range with this efficiency: 429km
Patience paid off, and as seen above, at the 10% mark, we had almost hit the 380km distance. The 'recharge' warning had come on, and I decided to switch off the air conditioning for the last run to the hotel. We were now inside Udaipur, and the Curvv was fast negotiating slower-moving traffic!
Above: Battery used : 94%
Distance: 401.3km
Efficiency: 126 Wh/km
Range with this efficiency: 436km
We finally crossed 400km and drove into our hotel. The display showed 401.3km with 6% battery left, which means the Curvv.ev could have gone another 25km or so. Good enough? Yes, in my books! The same run can be seen in the video below - do hit the play icon.
Verdict
A real world range of 400km means most consumers will need to charge their Curvv.ev once every 6-7 days. Even for highway runs, a 45min food break combined with fast charging will enable them to cover 600km+ safely. This will solve the purpose for most new EV buyers looking for options in the Rs 15-25 lakh bracket.
