Auto Expo 2020: India’s Readiness to Accept Electric Cars
The Indian automobile industry is not at its best right now and is facing the worst slowdown in about two decades. Despite the distress calls over a slump in car sales, there has been a constant pressure to make a shift from the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to fully electric vehicles (EVs). This move is supposed to happen by 2023 for three-wheelers and 2025 for two-wheelers. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s announcement, that EVs and ICEs can coexist in India, indicates that the government wants to switch to electric vehicles but not at the cost of affecting the old players in the market.
Leading international companies — Tesla, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Toyota are targeting India for their EVs. However, the exceptionally high import duty is making things difficult for them. India also saw the entry of hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius Hybrid Sedan and the Toyota Corolla failed to make their mark in the Indian automobile sector. These were among the first hybrid vehicles to be imported to India. However, the heavy import duties failed to attract the cost-centric Indian population. Elon Musk tweeted last year, “I’m told import duties are extremely high (up to 100%), even for electric cars. This would make our cars unaffordable.” Tesla also stated that they have been waiting to ship their cars to India since 2014. The company also has an interest in setting up their battery plant in India, in partnership with the Chinese company, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd. This could be a big step towards bringing the company to India.
This leads us to the next hurdle. Should charging stations be developed first? Or should there be a wait for the consumers to demand them, after the roll-out of EVs? What will be the pricing? Will irregularity in electricity supply affect these vehicles?
Different types of vehicles will need different types of chargers and voltages. The government is ready to make the shift, first in metro cities, satellite towns connected to the metros, and the capitals of all the states. Another big issue is the price of the vehicles. Electric vehicles cost way more than their fossil fuel counterparts — be it four or two-wheelers. The shift to EVs should start from small towns at first because consumers there have more space than big city residents, to charge their vehicles.
At Auto Expo 2010, EVs had attracted many people. Every automobile giant in India had something or the other to flaunt. Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors India, Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, and others had participated in it. 10 years later, these companies are figuring out a way to move forward. They are trying to find ways to convince the milage-centric Indians to make the mental shift to EVs. This year, Auto Expo saw that a large number of automakers are trying to make electric vehicles mainstream in India along with many other solutions.
Tata Motors’ Electric Presence
At the Auto Expo 2020, Tata Motors made their electric presence felt. They showcased their HBX EV, Nexon EV, and Altroz EV.
The micro-SUV concept, HBX, garnered the most attention, at the show. The car is set to be offered with a petrol-powered option, in addition to an electric powertrain. The new HBX is the company’s second model under the brand’s new ALFA design platform, following the Altroz.
Just ahead of Auto Expo 2020, Tata launched the Nexon EV. This long-range electric car gives you a consistent drive of 312 km on a single charge. It looks similar to its ICE counterpart.
The Altroz EV, a premium hatchback which came into the market in early January, is likely to get an electric format by the end of 2020. The Altroz EV looks nearly identical to the standard Altroz. Its electric powertrain is based on the Nexon EV, so one can expect an ARAI-claimed range of around 300 km.
To help India and its citizens make a shift to EVs, Tata Power has come forward with their pitch. The company will install 300 public fast chargers across the country by March 2020 and then take it up to 650 by March 2021.
Mahindra’s e-KUV 100 and the XUV300 Electric
Other electric cars that were in the limelight were Mahindra’s e-KUV and the XUV300 electric. The e-KUV has a 15.9kWh battery pack that comes with fast-charging capabilities and can charge up to 80 per cent in just one hour. With this battery pack, the electric micro-SUV offers a range of 147 kms. It also offers connected car features like cabin pre-cooling, location tracking, remote diagnostics, and much more. Rear parking sensors, dual front airbags, and overspeeding alert are some of its other features. It has a starting price of ₹ 8.25 lakh (commercial) but for a private buyer, it is priced at ₹ 11 lakh.
The XUV300 Electric was already announced when its ICE counterpart was launched. After being under development for a long time, it was finally launched by Mahindra at the Auto Expo 2020. The front end of the car looks a bit different than the regular SUV. The grille has been closed as the car is electric. The headlamps and the bumper have been redesigned too. The interior looks very similar to the regular SUV, apart from the large touch screen in the middle. While we know what the car looks like, we don’t have much information about the technical specs of the car.
Renault’s City K-ZE and Zoe
This year’s Auto Expo saw the debut of Renault’s City K-ZE and the Zoe. The Renault City K-ZE is the electric version of the company’s popular Renault Kwid. The smallest EV from the French automaker is an electric hatchback and is based on the K-ZE concept. The City K-ZE can be charged using the standard 220V domestic charging points. The charging speed is good, with up to 80% charge in about 50 minutes, in fast charging mode, while the slow charging mode will see the batteries fully charged in four hours. The car can go up to 240 kms on a single charge.
Another electric vehicle that the company showcased at the Renault pavilion was the Zoe EV. The Zoe EV was showcased at Auto Expo 2018 too, but the new model has a lot of added features. The car can run up to 380 to 400 kms on a single charge from a 52kWh battery pack. Charging time would depend upon the charger that you’re using. If you use a 7.4kW wall-box charger, it will take up to 9–10 hours to go from 0 to 100%. If you use a 50kW DC charger, the process speeds up to 0 to 80% in about an hour. The car comes with a lot of other specs too. Cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, automated high beam, auto climate control, heated front seats, are some of the features.
Morris Garages (MG) ZS EV
The new MG ZS electric vehicle, launched before Auto Expo 2020, has two variants — Excite and Exclusive. The carmaker also announced a special introductory price for the first 1000 bookings. The ARAI-certified range of the ZS electric vehicle is 340 kms with a single charge. By using an AC fast charger, the battery can go from 0–80% in 6–8 hours. While a similar amount of charge can be achieved using a DC super-fast charger in about an hour. The car can touch up to 140 kmph, while it can go from 0–100 kmph in 8.5 seconds.
While the big car manufacturers showcased their models and future concepts of electric vehicles, Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, says that India is still not ready for electric vehicles. He stated that the high selling cost and the lack of proper infrastructure are hindrances to sell such vehicles in India. Maruti’s customer base prefers to buy affordable and mid-segment vehicles and might not be interested in the costlier versions of the cars. They showcased their Futuro-e electric vehicle concept at Auto Expo 2020. However, they are yet to introduce an electric vehicle.
The current EV market penetration is just about 1%, with 95% of it being the share of two-wheeler sales. As discussed earlier, the automobile market in India is very volatile and is lacking the demand from the consumers. In such a scenario, it is difficult to assess when India and its citizens make a total shift from ICE to EVs. The government has set ambitious targets to accelerate the adoption of EVs by making every three-wheeler and two-wheeler electric by 2023 and 2025, respectively. The government is also providing incentives to the car manufacturers for developing new EV models and manufacturing components such as lithium-ion batteries and electric motors. The industry experts are optimistic that this shift will happen soon in India. The leading car giants and many startups are also making rapid and significant advancements in the EV segment. With the manufacturer and the public interest growing, the mass adoption might not take more than 5–6 years.
