India's Cheapest Electric SUV Tata Nexon EV Unveiled, Will Cost You Less Than Rs 1/Km

Tata Motors has taken the wraps off what can easily be termed as the cheapest electric SUV in the Indian market. The much awaited electric iteration of its Nexon SUV, named Nexon EV, has been unveiled and the company has started taking bookings for the same, starting at Rs 21,000. The Tata Nexon EV launch date is expected to be around January 2020.

Interestingly, Tata Motors has employed a refreshed design on the Nexon EV that is also expected to be sported by the 2020 Nexon. There are, however, some exclusive highlights in blue around the car that will help differentiate the EV version from the combustion engine counterparts. In addition, there will be a unique Electric Teal colour option for the Nexon EV.

Tata Nexon EV (Image: Tata Motors)

Dimension-wise the Nexon EV is similar to the petrol or diesel variants with a marginally lower ground clearance thanks to the batteries in the floor of the car. There are some differentiating elements though in its styling. As for its performance, the Nexon EV is based on Tata Motor¡¯s new Ziptron EV platform that will also form the architecture for all of the upcoming electric cars by Tata Motors.

In numbers, the Nexon EV carries a 95 kW (129 hp) electric motor that churns out 245 Nm of torque and is backed by a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. With this combination, Tata Motors claims that the Nexon EV can reach up to 60 kmph in 4.6 seconds and a speed of 100 kmph in 9.9 seconds.

Tata Nexon EV Interiors (Image: Tata Motors)

The company has not unveiled the Tata Nexon EV range as of now, but expects it to reach anywhere over 300 km on a single charge. With this, the company claims a cost per kilometre of less than Re 1. It also promises fast charging support for the battery through a DC fast charger that can charge the battery up to 80 percent from nil within an hour.

Other Tata Nexon EV specs include hill-assist (both ascent and descent), regenerative braking, as much as 35 connectivity options along with a ZConnect app support as well as an eight-year or 1,60,000 km warranty on its battery and motor offered by the company.

Tata Nexon EV (Image: Tata Motors)

On the inside, the Nexon EV sports a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, a dial-based transmission for two drive modes 'Drive' and 'Sport', keyless entry, push-button start, a rear camera and blue highlights throughout the cabin. For safety, the Nexon EV comes with dual front airbags and Isofix child seat mounts, just like the regular variant. Interestingly, the Nexon was the first made in India car to have a perfect 5-star safety rating as per Global NCAP and the Nexon EV will likely have a similar safety standard.

Tata Motors has started with the pre-bookings for the Nexon EV at a price of Rs 21,000. There are three variants of the electric SUV on offer - XM, XZ+ and XZ+ LUX. As the car makes its way to the market within a month, its price is expected to hit anywhere between the Rs 15 lakh to Rs 17 lakh mark.