Renault Kwid EV Specs Revealed; India Launch By 2022

• The Kwid EV (City K-ZE) was first unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show.
• The all-electric hatchback is currently on sale in China.
• Its gets an NEDC certified range of 270km for the Chinese market.
• Uses a 26.8kWh battery pack providing 44PS and 125Nm of torque.
• It can charge from 30-80 percent in half an hour.

Renault’s first all-electric offering for India, the Kwid EV, is expected to get an India launch by 2022. The hatchback first saw the light at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show and is currently on sale in China. Meanwhile, we have to wait a fair bit until the all-electric hatchback makes its debut in India. Here’s what the Kwid EV is all about:

The all-electric hatchback makes use of a 26.8kWh battery pack that drives a permanent magnet synchronous motor good enough for 44PS and 25Nm. Top speed stands at 105kmph. It also also comes packed with fast charging capabilities. With a DC fast charger, the Kwid EV can charge from 30-80 per cent in 30 minutes while a normal AC charger will take around 4 hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100 per cent. 

Underpinning the Kwid EV will be the same CMF-A platform as the standard Kwid. The only difference between the standard Kwid available now and the Kwid EV is what’s powering them. Meanwhile, the Kwid facelift that is destined for launch in the coming days is expected to be styled similar to the Kwid EV. 

The cabin also gets the same design and layout as the normal Kwid with the key highlights for the all-electric version being the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 4G WiFi and voice recognition. The all-electric hatchback also gets Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Renault’s Easy Link smart connect system. Other nifty additions include an in-built air quality control system and a host of safety features like high temperature automatic cut-off  to protect the battery pack.

Renault is delaying the launch till 2022 because it expects better infrastructure in India as the current scenario only allows owners to charge the EVs at their homes. The Kwid EV destined for India might also be based on the second-generation Kwid considering its delayed timeline.

Maruti’s upcoming WagonR EV will be the main rival to the Kwid EV in India while other manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra are also seriously contemplating EVs for our market.