Are you one of them who wishes to buy an EV but don't know what to look out for? Do you want to buy an EV for occasional Highway escape in India? Are you anxious about the range capacity that an EV can provide? Need not worry as we have it all covered here. We present to you 5 points that help you buying an EV in India.
It has not been long since the Indian automobile manufacturers stepped up in the game of pursuit to create one of the best electric vehicles (EV) witnessed by the world. However, the Indian EV market is quite fresh even though there have been attempts to create budget-friendly and sustainable EVs in the past and this said, the Indian customers are confused and anxious with regards to the purchase of an Electric vehicle.
Hence we thought of making your search before buying an EV, an easy endeavour with the help of five points:
COST: It is a fact that EV does not come at a cheap price. At Least not yet here in India. One of the most popular EV currently available in the market is a Nexon EV from Tata Motors which comes at a staggering price of Rs.13.99 lakh (ex-showroom) whereas a normal Nexon from Tata motors comes at a cost of around Rs. 7.20 lakh (ex-showroom). So it is clear that the price of a normal car is significantly less than that of a normal combustion engine car. However, we recommend you an EV because the running and maintenance cost is significantly lesser than a normal car. Also, they last for a decade, but most importantly, with the prices of fuel skyrocketing, an EV is a better choice to go with.
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RANGE: It is a common question that we hear in our day-to-day lives- How much does it return? in terms of fuel efficiency of a petrol or diesel vehicle. Quite naturally, the same question is asked in terms of an EVs range as well. The answer to this is simple. Different EVs provide different battery packs which mean different ranges. Usually, an EV can easily cover upto 150 to 200Kms without any hesitation. Tata claimed a 312km range from its Nexon EV whereas MG claims that its ZS EV can provide a range of 419km with one full charge.
Note: The distance that an EV can cover depends completely on the driving and whether it is used for daily commutes or for long trips.
INFRASTRUCTURE: By infrastructure, we mean the availability of EV charging stations in India. Even though there are few EV charging stations in small cities, it is far from ideal since the distance between one charging station to another is quite far. This will affect the ability to use an EV for long drives and occasional trips. Even though EVs can be charged with the help of normal household sockets, It takes extra time to charge them which is a loss of time and energy.
This problem has only one possible solution as of now which is to keep the EV a secondary vehicle in a household. The primary car could be a fuel combustion engine vehicle. The EV can be used for shorter commutes. However, for first-time buyers, we recommend you to wait until a better infrastructure is developed in India.
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WHICH EV?: While the Indian EV market is growing steadily, there are many manufacturers who produce various types of EVs. Two-wheeler makers are producing the highest number of EV products in India. However, carmakers are also looking forward to making budget-friendly EVs as well.
In India, Hyundai was the first car maker to introduce a feature-loaded E-SUV which was a success. However, gradually car makers like MG and TATA introduced MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon EV to compete with Hyundai. You need to worry about the price since more affordable EVs are being rolled out as days go by.
If you are looking for a luxury EV, then Mercedes EQC is the one you should opt for. This German carmaker was the first to introduce luxury EVs in India which means that more and more luxury car makers will be rolling out their products soon.
The Indian brands such as Mahindra and Maruti have also introduced concept versions of their EVs which we can soon expect to roll into production.
MAINTENANCE: The EV makers in India are considering serious measures to make post-sales service better. The Battery packs of EVs in India are costly however, the carmakers are presenting a warranty for several years. Unlike normal cars, EVs do not require an oil change or anything of the sort. Presently, charging units are installed in many parts of India without any additional costs at the customer's preferred locations.
In conclusion, more and more EVs are being introduced in India without any hesitation and the service network is expanding gradually. Many incentives are presented to customers such as in Delhi where TAX on Electric vehicles is exempted.
We believe that by reading the above five points about different aspects, you will be able to buy an EV, easily in India. Please tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. Also, join our 91Wheels Telegram group so that you discuss anything on wheels.
