Electric Cars Coming To India

India is in the initial stages of a transition from fossil fuels vehicles to electric ones. Such battery powered transport is considered to be much cleaner for the environment, more efficient for the owners and will help the country cut its dependence on fossil fuels.

So it does not come as a surprise that the government, along with the major stakeholders in the industry, is pushing for increased adoption of EVs in the country. OEMs have a crucial role to play. Offering electric vehicles that appeal to the Indian market at their price. And citizens also want to know what electric cars coming to India they can look forward to.

The responsibility lies more so on the four-wheelers than any other segment. Electric cars often represent the pinnacle technology that auto majors have to offer. With enough on them on the Indian roads, a status quo for electric cars will be set and fossil fuel ones are bound to look outdated in comparison.

The OEMs realise this and hence are not shying away from introducing their potent electric vehicles in the country. Despite a limited charging network, capable EVs like Hyundai Kona, MG ZS EV and even Tata Nexon EV have been launched in the Indian market. Here are some that will be added to this list soon -

Renault City K-ZE

Renault K-ZE Electric

Renault hinted at an upcoming debut of its electric cars in India at the Auto Expo this year. Interestingly, Renault India Managing Director Venkatram Mamillapalle confirmed that the EV offerings will be affordable and will cater to the ¡°mass market¡± instead of the niche one.

To prove his point was the Renault City K-ZE on showcase at the event. The much anticipated electric hatchback by the company was launched in China in September last year and carries similar looks as its fossil fuels. Some highlights to denote its electric nature of course, set them apart.

As for the performance, the Cit K-ZE hs a claimed range of about 271 km on a full charge. It comes with a 44 hp electric motor backed by a 26.8 kWh battery.

Renault Zoe EV

Renault Zoe

Right next to the City K-ZE was the Renault Zoe EV on display. The premium electric hatchback has better numbers to offer over its sister.

The Zoe EV has a range of 395 kms, thanks to a bigger 52 kWh battery, and promises good performance through its 134 hp motor. The premium electric hatchback is much anticipated for the Indian market for several reasons.

Tata Altroz EV

Tata Altroz EV

Tata Motors has been one of the front runners in bringing electric vehicles to the country¡¯s market. After the Tigor EV being inducted by major government offices for commute, the company decided to offer battery powered transport to the public.

That is when it announced its EV platform Ziptron - meant as a base for the company¡¯s upcoming EVs in India. Tata Motors has promised five EVs in the upcoming years in India. Altroz EV will be one of the initial ones.

Tata has hinted that the EV will have an expected range of 250 km to 300 km and will feature a fast-charging capability promising an 80 percent charge in 1 hour.

Mahindra eKUV100

Mahindra eKUV100

The other homegrown OEM is also eyeing the budget EV segment with its eKUV100. Meant to replace the outgoing e2o, the eKUV100 will come with a modest 31 kW motor backed by a 15.9 kWh battery that promises a 130 km range on a single charge.

Mahindra also says that the battery of the car will be able to charge to 80% within an hour.

Ford Aspire EV

Ford Aspire (Representative Image)

In addition to its own battery electric offerings, Mahindra will be co developing an electric iteration of the Aspire with Ford.

The Aspire EV will come with a 82 hp electric motor powered by a 25 kWh battery. The promised real-world range is 150km on a single charge.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR EV

Maruti Suzuki WagonR EV

Talking of the budget segment, the market leader in the country is also interested in grabbing a piece of the EV pie. First in line for this would be the WagonR EV.

The electric hatchback and a completely new avatar of the company¡¯s iconic WagonR has been spotted quite extensively on Indian roads during its test runs.

Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf 2019 (Representative Image: Nissan Global)

The Leaf has managed to propel Nissan to one of the top spots in the EV industry. The premium electric hatchback is the highest selling electric car in the world, thanks to a considerable range of 400 km on a single charge.

Nissan India had earlier confirmed that the Leaf will be launched in the country within this year. It comes with a 147.5 hp (110 kW) electric motor for the base variant which is expected to come to India. With a battery of 40 kWh and a quick charging feature to support 80% charging within 40 minutes,

Nissan Leaf is expected to launch at a price of around Rs 30 lakh.

Audi e-tron

2020 Audi e-tron Sportback (Image: Audi)

The German car maker marked its debut in the EV industry with the e-tron. Soon to bring it to India, Audi has equipped the e-tron with two electric motors to deliver an all-wheel-drive capability and a combined output of 408 hp.

Backing this is a 95 kWh battery that promises a range of 400km (WLTP). A report by Autocar says that the It will be priced at around Rs 1.5 crore in the country.