Flashback Friday: What Happened To The EVs From 2018 Auto Expo?
Which models made it to production, which ones did not and why? Let’s find out
The significance of electric cars and electrified mobility has been growing in the past few years with their appearance at various auto shows. While the upcoming 2020 Auto Expo in India is expected to have a prominent EV presence, several pre-production electric models were showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo as well. Let’s see what is their market status today:
1 Tata Tiago EV and Tigor EV
The Tiago and Tigor are sister models built on the same platform with the same powertrain options. While the Tiago EV seems to still be a distant offering, the Tigor EV was only recently launched in India. The first iteration was powered by a 16.2kWh battery pack while the latest version upgraded to a 21.5kWh battery pack for a claimed range of up to 213km.
However, the problem lies in its pricing. It costs between Rs 12.59 lakh and Rs 13.91 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Tigor EV is not as well-equipped as the top-spec petrol-AT variant of the regular Tigor priced at Rs 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Tata will be introducing more EVs soon but the Tiago EV doesn’t seem to be one of them.
2 Mahindra eKUV100
The KUV100 is Mahindra’s smallest offering and while a near production version was showcased, it is yet to be launched. At the expo, the eKUV100 claimed a range of 140km with 80 per cent charge in under an hour, thanks to fast charging. It used the same three-phase AC induction 31kW electric motor as the eVerito. Mahindra announced plans to launch the eKUV100 by the end of 2019 with an expected price tag of Rs 10-12 lakh.
3 Mahindra e2o NXT
For the longest time, the Mahindra e2o was one of the only two EVs available in India. A new version dubbed the e2o NXT was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo that was bigger, looked premium and increased the claimed mileage to 140km. However, the e2o has since been axed, likely since its design could not comply with the latest crash safety regulations and it had no airbags.
4 Hyundai IONIQ
The Ioniq sedan was showcased in both hybrid and electric versions but neither of them was launched in India. The electric version used a 28Wh battery for a claimed range of up to 280km while the electric motor had a performance rating of 120PS and 295Nm. Hyundai seems to have decided against introducing the Ioniq in India and opted for an electric SUV instead.
5 Kia Soul EV
The Kia brand introduced itself to the Indian market at the 2018 Auto Expo and showcased a plethora of its global products alongside the SP Concept. The Kia Soul EV was among them and a new-gen model has been globally introduced since then. It has not been launched in India yet and Kia doesn’t seem to be rushed about it either. The carmaker did gift the latest Soul EV to the government of Andhra Pradesh to express its support for the administration’s pro-EV stand. In its latest avatar, it uses a 64kWh lithium-ion battery that offers an emission-free range of 450km while the claimed figure would be much higher by Indian testing standards.
Hyundai Kona Electric
Technically, the Kona Electric wasn’t around to be showcased at the time of the 2018 Auto Expo. Instead, the carmaker had presented the regular petrol-powered version of the Kona SUV. However, the Kona Electric has been launched in India and it is the first long-range electric SUV offered in India. It is priced between Rs 23.71 lakh and Rs 23.9 lakh (ex-showroom). The ARAI claimed range for its 39kWh battery is stated to be 452km on a full charge.
While most EVs from the 2018 Auto Expo haven’t yet made it to production, it will likely be a different story at the upcoming Expo. Many more pre-production EV models are expected to debut and transition from the stage to the showrooms shortly.
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While the buyers are still not sure about the value of investment in EV, a lot of awareness education is needed. If the size of market increases including the first time buyers,costs will be down