Nexon EV’s long-range version is launching on May 11
The Nexon EV for the longest amount of time was the most affordable long-range EV in the market, until it was recently jostled from that spot by Tata’s own Tigor EV. However, the carmaker is now getting ready to launch a bigger-battery-pack version of the Nexon EV, with a range of over 400kms.
By Dhruv Paliwal
The Nexon EV’s range is expected to grow by more than 100km, but it’s expected to do that at a premium of anywhere between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh.
It’s no secret that Tata has been working on a longer-range version of the Nexon EV. We have already seen multiple spy shots of the said vehicle, and now, we finally have a launch date. Tata Motors has revealed that the new longer-range EV will be launched on 11th May 2022.
As far as changes to the Nexon EV are concerned, we expect that they will all be under the skin. From the spy shots, which have surfaced on the internet, it doesn’t look like Tata is going for any kind of a design overhaul. We might see a couple of changes (most likely a sticker or a badge) once the camo comes off, but that will be all.
The majority of the changes will happen in the battery pack. The size will go up from 30.2kWh to a predicted 40kWh, causing an increase of around 30% in the range, which means that the range of the Nexon EV could potentially cross the 400km mark. For your reference, the Nexon EV is currently capable of doing 312km on a single charge (according to ARAI). The 400km of the estimated range is our prediction of the ARAI figure for the new version of the EV – the real-world figure will obviously be different.
The charging capacity is also expected to grow. The Nexon EV currently uses a 3.3kW AC wall-box charger, which takes around 10 hours for a full charge. A new 6.6kW charger could be introduced, which would significantly bring down the charging time.
Tata is also expected to throw in some more EV-related features, such as different levels of regen. Then there are some other regular features, such as traction control and ESP. More creature comforts, such as ventilated seats, may also be offered with the new version of the EV.
As far as the price is concerned, Tata can demand a premium of about Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, depending on how easy or difficult it has been to re-engineer the Nexon EV for a larger battery pack. Just to put things into context, the Nexon EV is currently priced between Rs 14.54 lakh and Rs 17.15 lakh (both prices are ex-showroom). The longer-range EV will compete with the likes of the newly-launched MG ZS EV facelift and the upcoming Hyundai Kona Electric facelift.
