Tata Will Make Us Wait For Two Days Longer For The Nexon EV

• The EV is likely to borrow design cues from the facelifted Nexon.
• We expect it to have a claimed range of 300km.
• Prices are expected to be in the range of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 17 lakh.
• It is likely to be launched at Auto Expo 2020.

Tata Motors has given us a date for the global reveal of its flagship electric vehicle (EV), the Nexon electric sports utility vehicle (SUV). It will be showcased for the first time on December 19 after a series of spy shots, teasers, and the #UltimateElectricDrive campaign. Previously, the company had planned the official unveiling for December 17. You can read our story about it here. We expect the launch to be held at Auto Expo 2020. The Nexon EV is the first car powered by Tata’s Ziptron technology and could have a range of around 300km. Prices are likely to be much higher than the combustion model, between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 17 lakh.

After the Tata Tigor EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, and the MG ZS EV, the Nexon will be the fourth EV available for purchase by private buyers from a major carmaker in India. Tata has set up a total of 85 public chargers in 13 cities already. Plans are underway to have 300 chargers across five metro cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad. We expect Tata to provide 7.2kW chargers for home and office use. So even if you don’t have a local public charging station, you will be able to charge your Nexon EV in a few hours.

Tata Motors claims that Nexon EV’s powertrain has been tested for one million kilometres. The battery is sealed from water and dust and its casing is rated for Ingress Protection (IP67). Power comes from a permanent magnet AC motor. You’ll have to wait until December 19 to hear about numbers from us, though.

While the MG ZS EV competes with the Hyundai Kona, the Nexon EV stands alone. There are no compact SUVs in the sparse Indian electric car market. Until Mahindra launches the XUV300 electric SUV, the Nexon will occupy its own niche in the EV space. If priced right, the Nexon EV could offer a more economical choice to EV buyers compared with the MG or the Hyundai.