Tata Motors provides a 1.6 lakh km or 8 years (whichever is early) warranty on Nexon EV
Tata Motors has taken the Indian four-wheeler EV market by storm with compelling products like Tigor EV, Nexon EV and Nexon EV Max. It all started with Nexon Electric and the company is expected to launch an electric version of Altroz premium hatchback too.
Right now, Tata Motors is the leading 4W EV manufacturer in the country. They have had a headstart while other manufacturers are still considering this venture. Recently, we saw a Nexon EV turn into a fireball in Maharashtra. But it is the very first four-wheeled EV fire hazard that was ever registered and fortunately, Nexon EV flashed warnings before the fire started prompting the owner to get out.
Tata Nexon Electric Battery Replacement Cost
Recently, a Nexon Electric owner shared his experience on social media regarding his EV. According to the owner, he drove his Nexon EV for 68,000 km in two years. After this mileage, his Nexon EV’s range was reduced and also, the car wouldn’t run when battery state of charge goes below 15%.
This is a peculiar example of battery behaviour. But as it was under warranty, Tata Motors replaced the old battery with a new battery with no additional cost tabbed on the owner. When the owner asked the dealer regarding the actual cost of a new battery, they quoted Rs. 7,00,000. Yes, Rs 7 lakh.
This Rs. 7,00,000 quote is not actually revealed by Tata Motors officially. Coming to the owner, when simplified, on average, he has driven 2,833 km per month. When further simplified, turns out to be 95 km a day. Most owners are not going to drive 95 km a day. This particular Nexon EV owner has specific commute needs that are not mainstream.
Coming to the cost of Rs. 7,00,000 quoted, it seems to be a fair price for a technology that is still young in India. Coming to EVs in India, batteries are not manufactured here. They have to be specially designed for the application. With time and more localization and mass manufacturing, battery prices will scale down. In a world where a pumped-up Mac Pro computer from Apple can cost Rs. 50 lakhs (I kid you not), an EV battery with 30.3 kWh capacity for Rs. 7,00,000 is justified.
EV Running Costs
An EV will cost around Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.6 to cover 1 km of distance. When compared to an ICE vehicle with 20 kmpl efficiency figures, it costs around Rs. 5. And for reference, Nexon EV batteries don’t exactly die at 68,000 km for everyone. Battery degradation is based on number of charge-discharge cycles, charging temperature, charger capacity and a thousand more parameters.
Going with 70,000 km for consistent performance, if you drive 50 km a day every day, Tata Nexon EV battery might still offer solid performance for around 4 years. If performance degrades, Tata Motors warranty covers the battery. So, theoretically, your Nexon EV will be solid for 4 more years. It’s not all good though. Instances like these, trigger further doubts in potential EV buyers’ minds and after-sales demand for an EV will definitely be lower. Right now, Tata Nexon EV starts from Rs. 14.78 lakh and Nexon EV Max starts from Rs. 17.74 lakh (both ex-sh).
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
