The increasing support to electric vehicles (EVs) in India has encouraged yet another automobile player to pitch in. Laureti Automotive Corporation, a London-based firm with its Indian centre set up in Bangalore, has recently announced an all electric SUV lined up for the country¡¯s market by 2021. More intriguing is the SUV¡¯s estimated price point, ¡®around the range of Rs 40 lakhs¡¯ as hinted at by the company¡¯s CEO Marcus Paleti.
Now an all-electric SUV in the range of Rs 40 lakhs certainly raises some eye brows. Though a look at the DionX, the proposed SUV for India and Europe launch simultaneously, hints at the justification of the price tag.
DionX (Laureti Motors)
Paleti claims that the DionX will be able to cover around 540 kms on a single charge. To put that into perspective, current all-electric SUV offerings like Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace claim a range of 475 kms and 470 kms respectively. But since the DionX will be debuting in 2021, we can expect the others to catch up to the proposed numbers too with enhancements in their battery technology.
Nevertheless, in order to prove the claimed range, Laureti will soon be conducting an endurance test in India in August this year. The test would see the DionX covering 6,000 kms from Leh (Jammu & Kashmir) to Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in less than 12 recharging stops.
DionX (Laureti Motors)
Not just the range, the DionX has impressive claims about the performance too, with?a 0-100 kmph time of 5.4 seconds. Coupled to it would be an advanced artificial intelligence system in place for ¡®optimal performance and safety assist¡¯ and features like location, dashboard data, performance, maintenance notifications, security status and instant incident alarms. The DionX will be available in two trims.
As per Laureti CEO, the DionX will be manufactured and assembled at a facility at Puducherry. The company is reportedly investing USD 370 million (~Rs 2,577 crore) to setup the manufacturing plant that will have an initial capacity of 10,000 vehicles per year. The facility will commence operations in the third quarter of 2021, Paleti told PTI. He also hailed the government of Puducherry for assisting the company with the setup.
DionX (Laureti Motors)
Laureti Automotive Corporation is also focusing on the overall EV ecosystem in India and eyeing to introduce its patented charging systems including home chargers. It seeks coordination with the central and state governments in the country to setup 1 lakh charging points nationwide.