The future is electric, like it or not. The Indian government has also laid out a plan to sell only electric cars in India by 2030. However, there is still a lot of work that companies need to do before more electric vehicles can show up on Indian roads.
At the moment, there are only two passenger cars - the Mahindra e2O and Mahindra eVerito - and a handful of commercial vehicles that are electrically powered in India, such as the Mahindra eSupro. Tata is in the process of developing a few commercial vehicles such as the Tata Magic Iris electric and a few buses.
Tata, in fact, recently won a bid to supply the Indian government with 10,000 electric sedans. However, it still does not have an electric car commerically available and hence Mahindra would supply part of that contract initially.
However, the Indian automotive landscape can change in the next three years. Here is a list of likely electric cars that you will see by 2020 in India.
Mahindra KUV100 Electric
A Mahindra electric vehicle again! If someone does not come in with competition soon enough, it looks like Mahindra will continue to hold a monopoly over the pure electric market in India. The Mahindra KUV100 will be the first SUV from Mahindra to get an electric motor next year. Most likely it will share its powertrain with the Mahindra eVerito that is already on the road. The KUV100 is likely to be followed by electric variants of the Mahindra Scorpio and Mahindra XUV500.
Mahindra has said it will produce a range of electric powertrains ranging from 41PS to 205PS of power, which will suit a range of vehicles in its portfolio.
Tata Nano EV
Tata will launch an electric version of the Tata Nano, given that its entry level car has not been selling in large enough volumes. The Tata Nano EV has been spotted testing near Coimbatore and is likely to be showcased at the Auto Expo 2018 in New Delhi. The Tata Nano EV will have the same body and styling as the existing Tata Nano, but will come with an all electric powertrain. Details of this are scarce at the moment, but the car is likely to debut next year. The Tata Nano EV will likely be priced at par with the Mahindra e2O, which is at around Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh.
Tata Tigor & Tiago EV
Production of the Tata Tigor EV is being sped up especially after Tata won an order to supply an arm of the Indian government with electric sedans. The Tata Tigor sedan and Tata Tiago hatchback will both be electrified and will come with the same powertrain.
Tata Motors European Technical Centre has already developed a Tata Tiago EV, which has an 85KW (115 PS) motor that produces 200 Nm of torque. It can reportedly go from 0-100 kmph in 11 seconds and touch a top speed of 135 kmph. It has a range of about 100 km per charge. Tata has indicated prices of just over Rs 11 lakh for the Tigor EV it will be supplying to the government.
Nissan Leaf
Nissan first showcased the Leaf electric car in India in 2012. This car is capable of a 0-100 kmph time of 8.8 seconds and has a range of 400 km on a single charge. It has a quick charge capability too. The car is styled like a conventional hatchback. It also has new technology like the e-pedal, where you only need to control the car with a single pedal in normal driving.
Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is just making its debut in the US, and will come to India by 2019. Many Indian buyers have already pre-booked the Tesla Model 3 paying $1,000 when bookings opened last year. The production ready 5-door sedan was unveiled a couple of months ago and deliveries are just starting. Prices start at $35,000 in the US, but expect it to be priced at about Rs 40 lakh in India.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 will likely be the German automakers first full-electric offering in the Indian market, as it sells this electric car in other markets too. The BMW i3 is an electric hatchback that puts out 170 PS of power and 249 Nm of torque. It looks quite futuristic with LED lighting. It can go a 190 Km on a single charge.
Mean Metal Motors M-Zero
Mean Metal Motors is a startup in Bengaluru that has been working on an electric sportscar in a tie-up with Italian company Tazzari. The M-Zero will be the first electric sports car from this company. It is likely to have a 490 bhp electric powertrain and a range of 300 km. Prices are likely to start at Rs 60 lakh, when this car makes it to production sometime in 2019. Prototypes will be rolled out in 2018.
Besides the above cars, Renault is likely to bring in the Zoe electric car. This has been spotted testing in Bengaluru, but no further details on its launch are known. Hyundai is being tight-lipped about the Hyundai Ioniq sedan, as it initially was looking to bring in the hybrid version.
Maruti, India’s largest carmaker meanwhile, is planning on building electric cars at a new factory in Gujarat. Details of which models will go electric are sketchy at the moment. Last year, it has showcased a Suzuki Swift range extender (electric vehicle with a petrol motor to charge the batteries), but no details of its launch are known.
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