Tata Nexon EV launched – Starts at an aggressive Rs. 13.99 lakh

Tata Motors India have officially launched the Nexon EV with Ziptron technology at an awestriking Rs. 13.99 lakh. The car comes with a host of connected features and a range of 312 kms on a single charge. The electric car will be available via 60 dealerships in 22 cities which Tata claims to be the largest network in India.

The Nexon EV is powered by Tata’s Ziptron electric powertrain technology. The electric motor in use returns 129PS and 245Nm relying on a 30.2 kWh battery setup. The latter will be the basis of all future electric vehicles for the passenger segment from Tata Motors. Tata Nexon EV derives power from a permanent magnet AC motor and a liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion battery pack that’s IP67 certified.Driving range as per ARAI certification is 312 kms  and you can go from 0-100 kmph in almost 9.45 seconds. Driving modes include Drive and Sport.

The Nexon EV is available in three variants – XM base, XZ+ and XZ+ LUX which is the top-end. Launched at an introductory price tag of Rs 13.99 lakhs for the XM variant, it is just Rs 1.3 lakh more expensive than the diesel BS6 Nexon top-end variant, which was launched last week. Rs 14.99 lakhs is what you pay for XZ+ and Rs 15.99 lakhs for the XZ+ LUX. The difference in pricing between the three models is not much of a wide gap and moreover, the pricing is significantly cheaper than its alternatives i.e. Hyundai Kona electric and the MG ZS EV.

The Nexon EV is Tata’s 2nd electric vehicle in the market but, this time around the company has embarked on a slightly different approach. When the Tigor EV was launched, the company had only made it available for EESL contract orders. Although last year, the vehicle was made available for the taxi segment as well. With the Tata Nexon EV, the company is looking to grab the first mover advantage in the passenger segment by that pricing.

With an electric car comes the issue of convenience. The convenience of servicing, charging and road-side assistance for when you run out of charge. Well, Tata Motors will offer various charging options to customers. The battery can be charged up to 80 percent in an hour when using a DC fast charger. A regular 15-ampere socket will also be available for home charging but, will obviously take longer to charge. Select dealerships will house the DC fast chargers. Warranty on battery and motor is available for 8 years or 160,000 kms (whichever is earlier), which is claimed to be the best in segment. Tata claims to have 100 ports across the country as of January 2020 which will be increased to 650+ charging stations by March of 2021.

The current need for smart and connected vehicles has also been taken care of here. The Tata Nexon EV will have its ZConnect app with a range of connected features including vehicle tracking, driving pattern assessment, navigation, speed alerts, locating charging points, vehicle diagnostics, remote AC, etc. It’s available in 3 colors – Signature Teal Blue, Glacier White and Moonlit Silver. The EV is similar in looks to the BS6 Nexon with changes specific to its electric drive-train. Each color gets a different color roof and blue accents for window sills.