“As good as it sounds to save the planet by going green”. Is it a logical move to buy a EV in India now?
Let’s look at the options that the EV world offers currently.
There is not much offerings in the EV market currently, with just 3 proper EV offerings in India, namely the Tata Nexon Ev, Hyundai Kona ev and the MG ZSev. These 3 are very different EV’s and doesn’t really meet the needs of everyone. The Nexon Ev is the cheapest among the 3 Evs , but 15 lacs is not really cheap for everyone. offering only a, on paper range of 312 km . The actual range will be much lesser considering the fact we will use the air conditioning unit, plus considering some of the worst traffic in BANGALURU, MUMBAI & DELHI . Expect 30% fall in battery range due to these factors .
The Hyundai Kona has a longer on paper range of 450 km, considering the fact that this car will also undergo a fall in range, considering the driving conditions, It still will be a better option for long distance travel. But costing about 25 lacs , I personally would prefer a bigger Combustion engine vehicle like the jeep Compass, at that price.
The MG ZSev is the best among the three in terms of space and comfort. It also does a decent job with a on paper range of 340km. Again considering fall in range, and the price (20-24 lacs) it is quite a decent offering.
But none of these Ev’s manages to offer inter-state travel over a single charge. And at the end of the day you will be stressed-out with your car range and finding a super-charger or the respective car show room near you.
How does Tesla manage to get such a overwhelming amount of range over other EV?
Tesla is one of the few Mature EV maker in this world. The reason behind this is A smart investment by Elon Musk. If i ask what does an EV has that a combustion car doesn’t? Obviously batteries. Elon Musk made a bold move by partnering up with battery manufacturer Panasonic. Panasonic batteries partnered wih Elon musk for this crazy EV plan of his. Hence Tesla manages to get the best battery technology for cheaper than its competition .Tesla also has a Very efficient software system over the competition. This software edge helps the company to get optimum battery use . However if Tesla manages to enter the Indian market, it would have to built Factories in India “or ” Tie-up with another already existing auto company in India , Just to keep the cost down. IF we bought Tesla’s most affordable EV in India now. It would still cost around 40 Lacs which is a premium car sector in India. So Tesla like technology is still costly for the Indian market
So is it the rigth time to buy Ev’s?
NO, now is not the time to buy EV’s in India. We will have to wait till there are better charging networks in India . Even the cost of electricity is cheaper than petrol/diesel, But buying a fast charger will cost you in lacs . Plus you can’t charge anywhere else until there is a good Charging network. If more people buy EV’s then there will be a shortage of charging points, also there will be a waiting period for charging, which is annoying . The battery technology is still expensive and we should wait till Indian battery companies evolve and tie-up with auto manufactures. AS time passes there will be more players in the segment, so if the competition is health, the prices will also be competitive.
For those people who are still willing to save the environment, please use public transports, As the Indian government has started Electric buses in Major Cities “or” share your vehicle if possible. Ev’s will get better and better we just need to wait for the technology to evolve.
The next blog will have a solution to, How India can have a better EV network. Follow my blogs for more automotive news. Also leave a comment for me to improve. Thank you !!
Funfact:
Hyundai and Kia has invested $90M in Rimac for Better EV’s. VW group also has a $6 billion in investment in Rimac . So expect these companies to offer better EV’s in the future. All Companies under VW is supposed to be an Electric or on an hybrid By 2025-2030. Ford has also invested $500 million on Rivion for better EV technology.For more information in Rimac and it’s investors. Click on the link below to see my old blog https://automobiles.news.blog/2019/05/22/hyundai-is-the-next-to-tie-up-for-rimac/
Also for more information on Fords investment with Rivian check out the following link https://automobiles.news.blog/2019/04/25/ford-invests-500-million-dollars-on-rivian/
Carx 