By reducing the battery capacity, MG might be able to price ZS EV more aggressively, thus, making it more accessible
In a little over two years since it set foot in the Indian market, MG Motor has constantly fiddled with its lineup by introducing new updates to its models. This has been in the form of inclusion of new variants or a new transmission option. In other words, the carmaker has been wary of the volatile market and has focused on consumer needs.
As per the latest development, the MG Motor India is getting ready to shrink the battery capacity on offer with ZS EV. The crossover is currently the only model from the company running on an electric power source. This information has been revealed from a type approval document submitted by MG Motor to the Delhi RTO office.
New battery on offer
At present, ZS EV is offered with a battery pack of 44.5Wh capacity which returns a claimed range of 419 kms (ICAT certification) on a single charge. With the shrink in battery capacity, it is expected to offer a lower range on a single charge. This could also result in MG Motor reducing prices for the electric SUV. According to the document, the updated ZS EV will now be equipped with a battery capacity of 40kWh.
The downsized battery pack is also likely to take less time to get fully charged. Presently, a 7.4kW AC charger takes six to eight hours to get fully juiced up. On the other hand, a 50kW DC fast charger takes less than 50 minutes to juice up the battery from zero to eighty percent. The updated battery pack will be applied to both its trims- Excite and Exclusive.
Currently, it is the Tata Nexon EV which is the best selling electric passenger car in the country. MG ZS EV is at No 2. Nexon EV is priced in the range of Rs 14 lakh to Rs 16.65 lakh while MG ZS EV is priced from Rs 21 lakh to Rs 24.21 lakh. By reducing size of battery pack, MG could get the price of ZS EV base variant closer to the price tag of top end Nexon EV. This will also help MG to boost their EV sales.
Other Specs & Features
Other than the change in battery specifications, no other updates are expected to take place on the electric crossover. The new battery pack will send power to the same three-phase permanent synchronous motor which will continue to crank out the same output of 141 bhp and 353 Nm of peak torque.
Like every MG model, ZS EV is brimmed up with features that include an 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a digital instrument console, a panoramic sunroof, connected car tech, projector headlamps, auto climate control, cruise control and inbuilt air purifier. In terms of safety, ZS EV offers six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control (ESC), and hill descent control to name a few features.
MG Astor
MG Motor is also getting ready to launch of Astor SUV. The upcoming C-segment compact SUV is essentially the IC engine derivative of ZS EV and was officially unveiled by the company recently.
The carmaker claims that Astor will be the first car in India to be equipped with a fully inbuilt Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. It is expected to hit showrooms by Diwali this year and will compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
