It’s no secret that India is one of the developing nations in the globe that’s plagued with air pollution for a number of reasons. One of the most contributing factors to this plague, as the government says, is the toxic air that comes out of the tailpipes of our vehicles. To counter that, earlier this year, the government enforced new emission standards, which reduce the air pollution from vehicles to a huge extent – the jump from BS-VI emission standard from BS-IV is no secret either, or so I hope.
But that’s just one step the government has taken this time around. The other, and the more crucial, is encouraging the manufacturers to bring more and more electric vehicles to the country, by reducing the taxation to a large extent. This led many of the mainstream manufacturers to consider bringing their electric vehicles to the market.
While there have been many attempts at manufacturing electric vehicles in the past, most of them had poor range, which led consumers to pick ICE-powered vehicles. It was Hyundai who broke the mould last year, by introducing the country’s most viable electric vehicle yet.
1. Hyundai Kona Electric
The Hyundai Kona, when it arrived last year, changed the norms. Not necessarily the emission norms, but how manufacturers played before. It was the first viable electric vehicle to come out of the factory of a mainstream manufacturer in India. It is, essentially, an electric derivative of the ICE-powered Kona, which is on sale in the international markets. To everyone’s surprise, the Kona scored an ARAI-claimed range of 452kms on a single charge, which does sound a bit overwhelming. Moreover, what you also get with the Kona is a split-headlamp design with LEDs all around, a crossover-esque design, sizeable wheels, and Hyundai’s peace of mind reliability.
2. MG ZS EV
Just like the Kona, the MG you see here is also an electric derivative of its ICE-powered counterpart, which is currently sold in the international markets but is soon expected to make its way to the Indian market. Where the MG ZS EV has a slight edge over the Kona is in the design department as well as the overall range. While the ARAI-claimed range of 340km might sound a bit lower than the Kona, the MG does outshine its direct rival in real-world tests, thanks to a larger battery pack. As for its looks, the MG goes the extra mile as it looks like a proper mid-sized SUV, in comparison to the Kona’s crossover stance. It also gets a panoramic sunroof, connected car tech, and leather seats among other things. Plus, it’s also a wee bit more affordable than the Hyundai.
3. Tata Nexon EV
Now, unlike the other two, Tata’s Nexon has an ICE-powered counterpart in India. In fact, it looks mostly like its sibling, save for a few minor changes and the electric badging. Therefore, the Nexon EV is a sub-4m compact SUV, which makes it a size smaller than the other two vehicles you see above. However, make no mistake, since the Nexon EV is much affordable than the other two. On top of that, it gets an ARAI-certified range of 312kms, which is a lot viable in comparison to Tata’s first crop of EV’s, say, the Tigor EV. Other than that, the Nexon EV, like the standard Nexon, comes feature-loaded and also features the new design language, which was introduced with the mid-cycle facelift earlier this year. The Nexon EV certainly deserves the crown for being the most affordable and viable option for someone stepping in the world of Electric vehicles.
Apart from these three, there are more EVs that are set to enter the Indian market in the upcoming months. More importantly, the government is also taking steps to improve the almost non-existent charging infrastructure, which will improve the overall scenario by a huge margin. While the electric vehicles, as of now, might not be there in comparison to other ICE-powered vehicles, but, with the advent of these three, the future is certain. Government’s implementation of these norms and relaxation of the overall taxation is also a huge step in the promotion of electric vehicles in India. The electric vehicles, as it seems, are here to stay, and for the better, that is.
