Tata Nexon EV Review- Great Performance And Interiors But Does Its Range Make Sense In India?

Tata Nexon EV is by far the most popular EV in India

In the automotive world, EVs are the most debated/most talked about at the moment because there is confusion as to whether it is really the future or is it really already here? The EV revolution is happening in a few developed markets where cost is not an issue and charging infrastructure is sorted. California or London for example loves EVs and it is clear that these cities/states are embracing EVs in a big way. This article does not debate about that as instead we simply answer whether an EV makes sense for India or not. At the moment, the no. of EVs or even the sales of them are tiny and it is clear that mass adoption is years away or more since the technology itself is expensive. Batteries, weight, all those charging stations (who will pay for them?) and what not. A lot of questions but the simple solution is that EVs can co-exist with standard petrol/diesel cars and be the third option. In reality, EVs make sense if you live in the city and your commute is short plus it is much cheaper to run as well.

To test it out, we lived with an EV and used it like a normal city commuter. For this we picked the Tata Nexon EV and the reason for that was clear because it is by far the most popular EV in India. Sales have shot up and it has done more than 4,000 units till date. That for an EV is a record and the reason for that is the cost factor. The Nexon EV starts at Rs 14 lakh and goes till Rs 16.4 lakh- not cheap and a lot more expensive than a standard Nexon but a lot less expensive than other EVs.You do see a lot of them on our roads in the cities and the design is identifiable of course. It looks different in subtle ways from the standard Nexon and crucially it is a practical SUV. The space is the same as a petrol/diesel Nexon and it is spacious enough for having three passengers at the back plus even the boot is big. The interior is well finished and comfortable too. While the touch screen is tiny, it has all the features and seems well built for the price.

So far so good but what about the EV experience? If you are used to conventional engines, you would be shocked since the Nexon EV has no noise. The driving experience is completely different and takes time if you are used to petrol/diesel. An EV is fast from the word go and smooth. It takes much less effort in driving it and it is a calmer experience to drive it in traffic. The Nexon EV has a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers a permanent-magnet AC motor with the resulting power output being 129PS and 245Nm. There are two drive modes which can be changed via the knob on the centre console. However the regular D mode is all what you need and that is what I used all the time. It is quick and a mere flex of the accelerator will have you going very fast through traffic gaps. It feels very quick and smooth in the real world.

Most will take some time to adapt to this pace but once you do, you will not like anything else. Sport mode is not needed and mostly the tyres cannot cope with the torque so stick to D. What I liked further is that the ride and handling is better than the standard Nexon with a precise steering and sporty handling. It feels like a sorted SUV that is nice to drive. Tata Motors have also tuned it well to mimic a standard car with having a less strong regenerative braking than other EVs. You cannot adjust the regen and it is also not too strong. One thing we noticed is that the knob to change from D to N or R takes some time and it is a bit nerve-racking, especially when you are taking a u-turn and reverse gets engaged a touch late.

Of course you are waiting to hear about the range. The standard figure is 312 and that is ARAI certified hence to point fingers at Tata over its range is debatable. Honestly all petrol cars or diesel cars never match the official figure so it is the same with an EV. That said, more than a petrol or diesel car, your driving style influences the range you get. Drive it in S mode and or fast or have luggage with more passengers, the range will fall. We tried our best to drive the Nexon EV in S mode and used the aircon all the time. The worst is 180/190km but driven in D mode and in a moderate driving style in the city, the figure was a more respectable 210km. Not quite 312km but enough for most city commutes

Also the range drops less in the city than in the highway due to regen and that points to the fact that the Nexon EV makes sense as a city commuting tool. Also an advantage is the Tata Power charging network which at least has some chargers in the city so that you can top-up. Driving an EV requires more planning and where you want to go but once mastered, it is cheaper to run than any petrol/diesel car. The Nexon EV also gets enough tech to warn you if you are close to running out of juice or there is also an app to find nearest charging stations/monitor driving behaviour etc

If you are low on charge, the car turns to limp mode and reduces the power and aircon. That said, the 200km plus range is more than enough for an average commute. We used the portable charger that we got and it takes 9/10hours while fast charging from one of the chargers in the city will juice up the battery in an hour (upto 80 percent). In the end the Nexon EV does make a solid case for a pure city commuter as it is smooth, fast and cheap to run with the range/maintenance and charging network being just about enough. You still cannot do long journeys but the popularity of the Nexon EV indicates that an EV is indeed a good option for an urban city based car (as a second car for purely city use). While India is a vast country and the whole ecosystem of EVs need to be in place, the truth is that with the well priced Nexon EV, India atleast has taken that first step towards experimenting with this new form of mobility. What we link- Value for money, performance, ride quality, space, looks What we do not- range could be better