Top 10 Electric Cars for India
Due to various ecological problems many cities around the world are looking for emission free alternatives. At this time the usage of electric vehicles as both public and personal means transportation looks like the best way to make all cities cleaner and greener. That is why governments all over the world are subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles and India is not an exception. We have compiled a list of top 10 electric cars for India from overseas for Indian buyers. Will these modern green electric vehicles be good enough for our Indian roads and daily driving? Let’s find out.
Renault Zoe
Renault Zoe is equipped with an 88 horsepower electric motor that can push this EV to maximum speed of 137 kilometers per hour. Like with many electric cars out there, the real life range depends on the weather and road conditions but engineers at Renault are addressing this issue. Thanks to the upgraded battery pack, the car can go up to 402 kilometers on a single charge under favorable conditions but the real world tests show that the range of this EV is close to 300 kilometers. The charging time of Zoe takes 1-2 hours at the station or up to 9 hours from the house outlet.
Hyundai Ioniq
Hyundai Ioniq comes in plug-in hybrid and electric modification. The plug-in hybrid is powered by a combination of a high revving 105 horsepower 1.6l ICE engine and a 61 horsepower electric motor. The power to the motor is fed through an 8.9 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. With such battery capacity, the PHEV version will go up to 50 kilometers without using any gas. The electric modification of Ioniq comes with a 120 horsepower motor that draws its power from a 28 kWh battery. With such setup the car will go up to 167 kilometers on a charge, while diving at speeds up to 177 kilometers per hour.
Mahindra e2o
Mahidra e2o, compact city car, comes in both three door and five door versions and is equipped with a 41 horsepower electric motor and 16 kWh lithium-ion battery. Such battery is efficient enough to provide up to 129 kilometers of range. The Indian made EV is also represented in the European market and despite its modest tech specs and a top speed of 110 kilometers per hour, Mahindra e2o will fulfil all needed safety requirements and is one of the best budget EVs for the city driving.
VW e-Golf
VW e-Golf comes with a 115 horsepower electric motor that makes about 200 nm of torque. This is enough to show the 0-100 time of about 10 seconds. The 24.2 kWh batteries are located underneath the car and can provide up to 133 kilometers of pure electric driving. The battery can be fuelled by activating one of the three regenerative braking modes or via a universal charging port, which works with household outlets and CCS stations. While charging at home can take hours, the CCs option can give an 80% charge in 30 minutes.
Nissan Leaf
Over the years Nissan Leaf has become popular for its build quality and general affordability. In order to make the car even better, Nissan made significant changes to the EV and nowadays the Leaf looks even more desirable than ever for Indian roads. Nissan Leaf’s battery is located under the floor and all this weight allows the car to remain steady and handles well during cornering. The newest Leaf has an upgraded 30 kWh battery, an 106 horsepower AC synchronous electric motor that gets 172 kilometers of range.
Chevrolet Spark EV
Chevy Spark EV is one of the most affordable EVs for city driving. Besides having with a 21.4 kWh lithium-ion battery that lasts for 132 kilometers, Spark V is good for both city and highway driving. With a motor that makes 327 nm of torque, it can accelerate to the 100 KPH mark in 7.6 seconds and drive at speeds up to 145 kilometers per hour. The battery is charged via a 240V outlet in 7 hours. The 480V option brings the charge to 80% in just 20 minutes.
BYD e6
E6 is one of BYD’s most popular EVs in China, Europe and Japan. The latest generation BYD e6 comes with an 82 kWh battery that can guarantee 320 kilometers of range. BYD e6 is favoured in both China and Europe by vehicle fleets with large range requirements like taxis, police cars or car rentals for its range and affordable pricing. At this time, the manufacturer plans to increase the driving range even more, introduce fast charging that can fill the battery to 80% in 15 minutes and make it available to retail customers outside of China and Europe.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
As the self-proclaimed “America’s most affordable electric vehicle” Mitsubishi i-MiEV is brought into motion with the help of an electric motor that produces 64 horsepower and 132 nm of torque. This engine setup is quite suitable for daily city driving but if you need to drive on the highway, remember that the top speed is limited to 130 kilometers per hour and that the car can go 145 kilometers on a single charge. To extend the range you can charge to the 100% level with the help of a 220V outlet in 6 hours or use the 380V station to get 80% of battery life in 30 minutes.
Renault Kangoo ZE
Small business owners, delivery services and taxi drivers, who are looking for an affordable type of transport with lower running costs, should definitely learn about Kangoo ZE. This electric van is brought to motion with the 60 horsepower motor that makes 166 nm of torque draws power from a dense battery. With fully charged pack you can cover the distance of 133 kilometers with a payload of up to 635 kilograms. When the battery runs low, it can be recharged in 10 hours from a household outlet or in 6 hours at a special charging station.
Opel Ampera-e
Opel Ampera-e is a new compact EV that uses a 204 horsepower electric motor and a 60 kWh battery to cover up to 500 kilometers on a charge. Ampera-e also support advanced charging option that allows to get up to 145 kilometers of range in after 30 minutes of charging. The torque of 360 kilograms positively reflects on dynamics of the car Ampera-e can accelerate 0-100 kilometers in just 7 seconds. Ampera-e was made for city driving, so remember that the top speed is limited to 150 kilometers per hour
These were the list of top 10 electric cars for India that we think should be available in the Indian market from across the seas. Do you agree with our list and do you think that the perfect electric car for India must have good range, price and comfort? Please let us know what you prefer in the comments below.
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