Image for reference. Credit – Hemank.
Tata Motors has been issued with a show cause notice by the Delhi Transport Department following a complaint filed by a Delhi resident
The complaint states that the Tata Nexon Electric failed to perform as per standard. The vehicle owner, a resident of Najafgarh, purchased the Tata Nexon EV XZ+ variant and noted that while the company claimed a range of 312 km per charge, his vehicle was not offering more than 200 kms. This was despite the fact that he complied with every advice issued by the dealer.
The Nexon EV was purchased from an authorized company dealership in Safarjung Enclave. It was registered on 3rd Dec 2020 and it was immediately noted to fail in meeting the required range as indicated. Though the owner stringently followed all directions, there was no improvement in the range and nowhere close to 312 kms per charge.
Complaint Filed, Show Cause Notice Issued
A complaint was filed by the owner of the Tata Nexon EV with Delhi Transport Department and a notice has been sent to the automaker. Tata Motors has been instructed to depute a representative to attend the office of the said department on 5th Feb 2021 at 12 noon.
The notice also adds that the Delhi Government could consider removing the subsidy offered under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2020, on the Tata Nexon EV, if it is proved that this contention is proved to be true.
File Photo. Credit – AutoTown
Under this Policy, a purchase incentive of Rs.10,000 per kWh battery capacity is offered on the purchase of an electric 4 wheeler with a cap of Rs.1.50 lakhs. Also, the owners of the first 1000 electric cars registered in Delhi, following the issuance of the policy, would be eligible for the incentive. The Nexon EV is an approved vehicle under these conditions of the EV policy.
Tata Motors, on their part, have taken cognizance of the show cause notice and are taking measures to address the concerns of the owner. The range of 312 kms per charge is based on certification received from Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
ARAI is an apex body to test and certify vehicles under various standard test conditions prior to the vehicles going on sale. Tests conducted by ARAI are under special and ideal conditions and hence range are always on the higher side as compared to real world conditions.
As is also seen in the case of conventional vehicles, electric vehicle range is also derived depending on certain factors. These include use of air conditioning, individual style of driving and real world conditions present at the time the vehicle is being driven. The range is also achieved according to familiarity with the new technology and customers report a marked improvement by around 10 percent in a time frame of 4-6 weeks once they are familiar with the vehicle.
Tata Nexon EV Sales
Tata Nexon EV is the best-selling electric SUV in India and most affordable car in its segment currently commanding a market share of 63.2 percent. Launched on 28th Jan 2020, sales have touched the 3,000 unit mark in the past one year while its affordable price tag allows it compete efficiently with its rivals such as the MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric.
Source
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
