Tata Motors has finally announced prices for the Nexon EV, the first long-range EV from an Indian manufacturer. The electric compact SUV comes in at a starting price of Rs 13.99 lakh for the base ‘XM’ variant. There are two more variants, the XZ+ variant is priced at Rs 14.99 lakh while the top –of-the-line XZ+ LUX variant is priced at Rs 15.99 lakh. These are introductory prices, and they will likely go up in the near future. The Nexon EV massively undercuts its all-electric rivals like MG’s ZS EV which is priced at Rs 20.88 lakh and the Hyundai Kona Electric that is priced at Rs 23.58.
While the ‘Ziptron’ electric powertrain is newly developed in conjunction with Tata’s various groups of companies, the cosmetics and interiors have been updated and they are in line with the BS6 Nexon variants. Tata’s first long-range electric vehicle gets a 30.2kWh high energy density lithium-ion battery under the hood. Though the EV weighs in at 1400kg, the 320 volt electric powertrain generates 127bhp and 245Nm of torque that is capable of propelling the EV to 100kmph in 9.9 seconds. Despite being 95kg heavier than its diesel counterpart, it still manages to be 2 seconds quicker. Interestingly it is also 0.2 seconds quicker than its Korean rival, the Hyundai Kona electric. The top speed is limited to 120kmph.
Yes we’ve driven it! Find our review here
Where the Nexon EV surprises is its driving range. On full charge the Nexon EV claims to deliver 312km range (ARAI Certified) while in real world conditions, we expect the e-SUV to do about 240-260km. An added convenience is the charging and the warranty on the battery pack. The EV can be charged to 80 percent in only 60-minutes with a CCS 2 fast charger while the 15A socket will take about eight hours to charge from 20 per cent to 100 per cent. Tata also offers 8-year warranty (1.6 lakh km) for the battery. Tata Power will setup dedicated fast-charging outlets, starting with five cities – Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi. It aims to have 300 fast chargers by March 2020 and reach 650 units by March 2021.
The Tata Nexon EV is available in three different variants – XM, XZ+ and XZ+ Lux. The base XM variant gets keyless entry and push button start, ZConnect app (Tata’s version of connected car app like Hyundai’s Bluelink), dual airbags with ABS and EBD, Drive and Sport modes and auto climate control. In addition to what’s in the XM, the XZ+ gets contrasting dual tone roof, 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, seven-inch touchscreen, cornering lamps and rear parking camera. The top of the line XZ+ Lux trim will get sunroof, auto headlamps and rain sensing wipers and leatherette seats.
0-100kmph in 9.9 seconds! - Watch our test drive review here
The Tata Nexon EV massively undercuts the MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric. The Nexon EV is close to Rs 7 lakh less than the ZS EV and Rs 9.72 lakh less than the Kona. Though Tata’s e-SUV gets a smaller 30.2kWh battery compared to the ZS EV’s 44.5kWh and the Kona’s 39.3kWh battery, it’s major selling point would be the exciting price.