Tata Motors goes electric with the new Nexon EV
The battery placement in the Nexon EV has reduced the ground clearance of the vehicle as compared to the regular internal combustion engine. Currently, it stands at 205mm, 4mm less than the original.
Tata Motors has unveiled the company’s first electric SUV on Thursday, based on the company’s existing Nexon SUV retailed with a petrol or diesel engine.
Currently, the electric SUV will feature Tata's Ziptron architecture, which is very different from the current model. Nexon EV will be sold from January 2020 and will be in priced around Rs 15 to 17 lakh. The EV will be available for booking for Rs 21,000, starting tomorrow.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Guenter Butschek, CEO and MD, Tata Motors, said, “After introducing our cutting-edge EV technology, Ziptron, we are thrilled to unveil the first EV featuring this technology – The Nexon EV. We are confident that this development will mark an important milestone in India’s electrification journey, and further reinforce our commitment towards developing sustainable and responsible mobility solutions for India.”
The Nexon EV is equipped with a 129 PS permanent-magnet AC motor, powered by a high capacity 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. The company claims that this motor can produce 245 Nm of instant torque from a standstill, enabling Nexon EV to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 9.9 seconds. Additionally, it is capable of doing over 300 km on a single charge.
The car has a single-speed gearbox with two drive modes – Drive and Sport. The Sport mode supports a torque boost of up to 60 percent. The liquid-cooled battery is placed in the Nexon's floor and has an IP67 dust and water resistance capability, and features both regular and fast charging capability. Through a DC fast charger, the Nexon EV can reach 80 percent of its capacity in 60 minutes, and by using any standard power socket, the car will take eight hours to get from 20 to 80 percent charge. The battery and motor carry a warranty of eight years for 1,60,000 km.
Tata has tweaked the design of the Nexon and now the SUV sports thinner and wider headlamps, a 3D grill with a gloss black panel. It also gets a redesigned bumper with large air dams, which Tata is calling its signature ‘Tri-Arrows’. The face of the SUV, window line, tailgate, and inside get blue inserts to reinforce the eco-credentials.
On the inside, the car shares the same semi-digital display as the Altroz and Harrier. The gear lever is replaced by a storage space, and a rotary drive selector knob helps you choose driving modes. The steering wheel resembles the Altrox and has a flat-bottom. The interior trim and colour schemes have been changed from the petrol or diesel-powered SUV.
The Nexon EV will be available in three variants, and the XZ+ Lux variant gets all the bells and whistles like a sunroof, leatherette seats, rain-sensing wipers, and auto headlamps. This electric SUV will also see the debut of the Tata's new connected car infotainment system, ZConnect, which will be available in all variants and is app-based.
The app allows customers access to 35 remote commands, vehicle tracking, driving behaviour analytics, navigation, and remote diagnostics. It also helps in locating the nearest charging points and service stations, and set-up speed alerts.
The nearest competitor of Nexon EV seems to be MG Motors’ ZS EV, also slated to be launched in January 2020.
(Edited by Suman Singh)
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