Launched earlier this year in January at a starting price of Rs 13.99 lakh, Tata Nexon electric is now the best selling EV in India
In its current form, Tata Nexon Electric offers a range of 312 km (ARAI). It has now been revealed, that the Nexon EV range might be increased in the future. Not only that, performance too is expected to increase.
According to a company official, the Ziptron technology that powers Nexon electric will be continuously improved in terms of efficiency, range and performance. This was revealed in a recent interview by Mr Anand Kulkarni, who is the Vehicle Line Director at Tata Motors EV.
Increase in range with updates is not new. It is in line with industry trends where other electric cars have received similar range and performance updates. Taking a recent example, Tesla has increased range of its Model S Long Range from 373 miles (600 km) to 390 miles (628 km). Similarly, Tesla Model X Long Range now runs 351 miles (565 km) instead of the previous 328 miles (528 km) on a full charge.
Another recent case is that of Euro-spec Hyundai Kona Electric, where range has been increased from 449 to 484 km. In all these examples, the electric cars continue to use the same battery as earlier. Range and performance improvements were achieved through software upgrades and mechanical changes.
Tata Motors currently has two electric cars in its portfolio, Tigor EV and Nexon Electric. However, both are quite different in terms of the technology they use. While Tigor UV utilizes the Electra powertrain that has a low-voltage architecture, Nexon EV has the advanced Ziptron tech that supports high-voltage architecture. In technical terms, anything below 60V is considered a low-voltage architecture and above that is high-voltage architecture.
There’s a difference in battery capacity as well. While Tigor EV comes with 16.5 kWh and 21.5 kWh battery packs, Nexon utilizes a 30.2 kWh battery. Another key difference between the two cars is that Nexon is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor that is more efficient and can deliver higher range. Tata’s Ziptron tech will be used for other electric cars that will be launched in the coming years.
Tata Motors is aggressively targeting the nascent electric vehicle segment with a range of cars to be launched in the near future. After Nexon, we could see the launch of Altroz EV that was showcased at Geneva Motor Show. Other electric cars in the pipeline include Tata HBX electric, a C-segment sedan, and a crossover model (similar to Tata Sierra EV). HBX electric can be a game changer, as it will be one of the cheapest electric cars available in the country.
Nexon EV does not have a direct competitor as of now, but that will change soon with launch of Mahindra eXUV300. Expected to be launched in mid-2021, Mahindra eXUV300 will have a range of more than 370 km. It will be offered in both standard and performance versions.
