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      in Electric Cars

      Hyundai Kona Electric owner does 403 kms Road Trip in Kerala – With AC On

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      Even after completing the journey of over 400 kms, the car showed that there was still enough charge to do another 40 kms
      Even though costly as compared to their fossil fuel powered counterparts, electric cars offer a range of benefits. There are not many electric car owners in India, but there are many who aspire to become one. The main reason holding most buyers back, is the range curiosity and charging infrastructure.

      To help consumers understand the range of electric cars in India, some owners have shared detailed videos about real world drive range, service costs, etc. Now, a Hyundai Kona electric owner from Kerala, via YouTube Channel ‘Kona Kerala’ has shared their experience of driving the car from Trivandrum to Calicut, a distance of around 400 km.
      Trivandrum to Calicut – Journey details
      The journey begins at a Hyundai dealership in Trivandrum and ends at a Hyundai dealership in Calicut. The purpose of this journey was to find out the actual range of Kona EV. The ARAI-claimed range of Kona is 452 km, making it the longest range EV in the country. In comparison, Tata Nexon has a range of 312 km whereas MG ZS EV can travel 340 km on a single charge. Recently, a Nexon EV owner had posted their range experience with the car, which came out to be 170-180 km on a single charge.

      Hyundai Kona EV owner shares stats / experience
      Talking about Kona’s 400 km journey, the car starts with a full charge from the Trivandrum dealership and reaches the bypass road after travelling for 69 km. Most roads in Kerala are two-lane and the ones near cities and towns are usually crowded. To save battery, the vlogger utilizes Kona’s special feature where the driver’s side AC can function independently. This saves battery without compromising comfort when driving alone. After driving for 103 km, the battery was at 80 percent.
      At 161 km, the battery consumption was at 34 percent and the available range showed 209 km on the instrument cluster. As the car enters Kochi, it is faced with traffic jams. However, it does not have any major impact on battery consumption, as energy use is low when the car is idling. When the battery level showed 50 percent, Kona had travelled a distance of 233 km. Available range was displayed at 160 km. Watch the detailed video below.

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      When it started getting dark, Kona was around 112 km away from its destination. The car performed well in night time conditions and reached the Hyundai dealership in Calicut with 7 percent battery still remaining.
      Cost-effective in the long run
      Overall, Kona travelled 409 km in this journey on a single charge. If we consider the 7 percent remaining battery, it shows that Kona’s real world range is quite close to its claimed range of 452 km.
      However, Kona may not be for everyone, as it is quite expensive at Rs 26 lakh, on-road. Nonetheless, Kona can still be cost-effective in the long run, as charging and maintenance cost is significantly less in comparison to that of ICE powered cars. More

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      Valid PUC a must for Renewing Car and Bike Insurance

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      Effective immediately, all vehicle insurance renewals and claims will require a valid PUC
      Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) says insurers must take into account PUC certificate at the time of renewal of Insurance of Vehicle as per directions given by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in WP(C) No.13029 of 1985 in the matter of M.C. Mehta Vs. Union of India.
      WP(C) No.13029 of 1985 in the matter of M.C. Mehta Vs. Union of India.

      Supreme Court’s direction outlines that insurers mustn’t renew a motor policy until vehicle owner provides a valid PUC certificate. The directive is to be followed strictly with focus on compliance in National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi – NCR). The development is in reference to the Authority’s Circular No. IRDA/NL/CIR/MISC/104/ 07/2018 dated 06th July, 2018 that advised general insurance companies to comply with the direction issued by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil).
      Central pollution control board (CPCB) raised concerns regarding compliancy of above direction in National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi – NCR), and is to be followed scrupulously. For customers, this means your insurance company will need to view valid PUC or pollution under control certificates at the time of motor insurance policy renewal.

      File photo
      The move in 2018 was in response to concerns about vehicular pollution. Focus on Delhi-NCR isn’t difficult to decipher considering the region continuously finds itself to be a regular mention whenever pollution matters are discussed.
      IRDAI has written to all insurance companies in India – “Central pollution control board (CPCB) has raised concerns regarding status of compliance of above direction of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi – NCR). Please ensure that the direction of the Supreme Court of India is followed scrupulously with special focus on compliance in National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi – NCR).”
      PUC certificate
      PUC certificate lists compliancy to emission norms, and needs to be updated at regular intervals. Renewals must be concluded prior to certificate expiration date or the offence is fined. A PUC certificate is required even at a routine stop and check if the officer so requests.
      While such a fine may not serve as a deterrent to all, the risk of not being able to rebid a vehicle insurance policy is no small matter, and isn’t something folks will slide under the carpet. Pollution emission levels are fixed for all motor vehicle types. New cars/vehicles are not required to get a PUC certificate until a year after vehicle registration.
      As PUC certificate isn’t issued if a vehicle isn’t emission compliant. For newer cars, timely service can nip the problem at the bud. Deferring regular vehicle servicing as a cost saving measure are woeful. Those with older cars may also see emission compliancy issues develop. This is aggravated when old vehicles are fitted with certain parts.
      With PUC certificate now a requirement for policy renewal insurance, one can hope a number of secondary problems too will be addressed. As a pattern, PUC certificate renewal will now be a more mainstream concern because of its requirement to renew policies even if one isn’t particularly concerned about the effects of pollution. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric Owner Takes A Road Trip – Shares Real World Drive Range

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      Electric Vehicles(EVs) are gradually gaining popularity in various automotive industries across the world
      However, with all the benefits EVs come with, there are many other requirements that need to be fulfilled beforehand. One of them is a proper battery disposal facility which is still missing in many markets and the other being a sufficient number of charging infrastructure. Developed countries where EVs have been adopted in large scales have added a charging infrastructure at almost every refuelling station in and outside the cities.

      In India, however, the case is different. Charging stations are as rare as the sight of a sparrow these days. While many private and government firms have joined hands for the development of related infrastructure in the recent past, it is still at a very nascent stage. Hopefully, in the near future, we get to see more charging stations come up to the ease of EV consumers.
      One of the main concerns out of lack of sufficient charging stations is the driving range of an EV on a single charge. While it is a given that the claimed range provided by the company is nowhere near the driving range, the question arises what is the real-world range of an EV and how much far can you travel on a single charge. We might have an answer to that here.

      Tata Nexon EV – Hemank
      Currently, there are only not many EVs on sale in the passenger vehicle segment in India. The three popular ones are Hyundai Kona EV, MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon EV. Here, we have an example of the Nexon EV being tested for its real-world driving range. The video uploaded by Hemank from ‘Northway MotorSport EV R&D’ on YouTube gives us an idea of what the real-world range of a Nexon EV would look like if driven in normal driving conditions. The creator is an EV enthusiast who had previously converted a Maruti 800 into an electrified car.
      Route of Journey
      The creator starts his journey from his place in Pune to Lonavala and then back for the return journey. The car has been driven for 418 km prior to this journey. The Nexon EV owner has made sure that he has charged his car to 100 percent before onsetting his trip. He makes sure he drives his electric car just like any other ICE (internal Combustion Engine) car.
      As its first impression, the creator mentions that the Nexon EV has a very well-balanced suspension, the car handling is smooth and the ride is comfortable as well. The Ac has been set on the 24-degree celsius mark. He then turns towards Lonavala joining the National Highway (NH)-4. During the course of his journey, he maintains the speed limit at every instance and follows the traffic laws diligently. Watch the full video below.

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      The first reading comes at 4.7 km of travel with consumption of 4 percent charge The second reading is taken at 29.5 km consuming 21 percent charge. Between city and highway, the distance covered was 16 km, which means the car drove 16 km in city driving conditions. The third reading is noted at 57.3 km near the destination after eating up 43 percent of the battery with the MID showing a 160 km still left.
      In between his journey, there was a heavy bout of rain therefore he had to slow down his car to avoid hydroplaning, more so because the Nexon EV is not equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP). In Lonavala, after completing 60.8 km of his journey, the driver stops at a refilling pump which is equipped with a charging station suggested by the app on his phone. However, he finds out that the charging apparatus is broken and had to leave without recharging his EV. At this point in time, he still had 46 percent of battery life left.

      Tata Nexon EV – Hemank
      Nexon Electric owner also suggests to all those seeking to buy an EV in India and wishing to go on a road trip must always take note of the charging infrastructures present on the route to be covered otherwise it might leave you in a very tricky situation. This shows that our country still has a long way to go in fully adopting electric vehicles as their primary mobility option. He finally recharges his EV on arriving at a recharging station near Pune where he uses a fast charger. At first, the quick charger at Tata Motors dealership fails to charge the battery as it disconnects after charging from 22% to 30%. After a few more attempts, the owner manages to start the battery charging process successfully.
      Final Summary
      His total journey counted for 110 km after consuming 80 percent of the battery. The owner says that he would expect the Nexon Electric to have a real-world range of 140 to 150km on a single charge, as opposed to the claimed range of about 310km. Therefore, the real-world driving range turns out to be half of the claimed range. The Nexon EV is powered by Tata Motor’s Ziptron powertrain technology which is equipped with a 30.2kWh lithium-ion battery. It is rated to give an output of 129 PS of power and 245 Nm of torque.
      Update – Hemank has now uploaded another range test video of Tata Nexon EV. The difference now is that the Nexon EV firmware has been updated. Hemank says that this has helped the real world mileage to improve slightly, and he now expect the real world mileage to be about 170-180 kms for a full charge. “While cruising at a speed of 80 kmph, the battery consumption is about 1% for 2 kms. If you cruise at 100 kmph, the battery consumption is about 1% for 1.2 kms,” adds Hemank in his video. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Tata rolls out 1,000th Nexon Electric SUV – Records 62% market share

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      Tata Nexon Electric production has crossed the milestone figure of 1,000 units today
      Tata Motors has rolled out its 1000th Nexon EV. The company confirms segment dominance with 62 percent market share in Q1 FY21. Nexon Electric SUV is manufactured at the company’s Pune plant. The feat has been achieved in a little over 6-months since commercial launch.

      Indian EV segments across the spectrum are still in a nascent stage of production, and competition with most manufacturers not yet participating. This leaves buyers with a small variety to pick from. With only 4 automakers offering EVs for now, and not all of them existing in the same segment, Tata Motors finds itself at an advantageous position in the segment.
      Tata’s other EV offering, Electric Tigor sedan is available with a drive range of 140 km and 213 km, and is offered as a fleet only vehicle. Nexon EV is offered as a personal mobility option with a drive range of 312 km on a single charge. With drive range anxiety being one of many reasons potential buyers are sceptical, Nexon EV range puts a stop to such concerns for anyone considering an EV purchase.

      Tata Nexon Electric being delivered to respective owners. File photo.
      Recently announced Delhi EV Policy outline will help guide EV adaption in Delhi-NCR, and includes a host of benefits for EV buyers. Shailesh Chandra, President – Passenger Vehicle Business, Tata Motors Ltd. said, “Acceptance of EVs is accelerating fast, and we are seeing growing interest in it from all parts of the country. The rollout of the 1000th Nexon EV in a short time span, despite the challenges of Covid-19, reflects the rising interest of personal segment buyers in EVs.
      Tata Motors will continue to innovate and develop comprehensive sustainable mobility solutions meeting global standards. EVs are the future and as the industry leader, we are committed to make them desirable and a mainstream choice for the customers.”
      Tata Nexon EV Subscription
      To expand its scope, Tata EV Subscription model has been introduced. The subscription plan begins at Rs.41,900 for a 3 year fixed plan. Customers can select from a 18, 24 to 36 month tenure. Subscription fee is inclusive of comprehensive insurance cover, road side assistance and end to end maintenance.
      For now, the service is available in Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in collab with Orix Auto Infrastructure. Subscription rate is Rs.44,900 for a period of 24 months and Rs.47,900 for an 18 month leasing period.
      While a subscription plan is an easy road to car ownership, the finance model is fairly unexplored in the consumer segment. Tata uniEVerse e-mobility ecosystem looks to leverage Group company strengths to develop the EV environment. Customers can access e-mobility solutions, including charging stations, retail experiences and easy finance options. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Hyundai Kona Electric Clocks 1,026 kms on Single Charge – New Record

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      The Kona electric was tested at Lausitzring circuit in Germany proving the company’s leadership in electric mobility
      Hyundai Motors has tested the range of 3 Kona electric cars at the Lausitzring circuit in Germany. This was done so as to prove its leadership in electrified mobility. These Kona EVs used for the test were factory spec models and unmodified. The three Kona EVs were tested for three days at the circuit and each travelled 1,018.7 km, 1,024.1 km and 1,026 km on a single charge.

      The test was conducted by German auto magazine Auto Bild and was monitored by Dekra – an European vehicle inspection company that has operated the Lausitzring racetrack since 2017. The drive teams were one from Auto Bild and two from Hyundai Motor Deutschland.
      To claim this record, the air conditioning, and infotainment system were switched off while only the daytime running lights were on so as to comply with regulations prevalent in the country. The three Hyundai Kona EVs were fitted with standard low rolling resistance Nexen N Fera SU1 tyres of size 215/55R17. Watch the video below showing the record attempt run.

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      The 3 days of test, which included 36 drivers recording average speed of 30 km/h saw each distance represent a record as per capacity of the 64 kWh battery pack which powers the Kona EV. Power consumption figures of 6.28, 6.25 and 6.24 kWh per 100 km stood below the average of 14.7 kWh per 100 km as is determined by Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).
      Another outstanding feat is that the Kona EVs managed to cover a distance of 20 kms on 3 percent residual capacity and continued to drive over several hundred meters even with zero percent charge. The test has once again proved to Kona electric customers that they can traverse over long distances without any stress of recharge or range.
      Hyundai Kona Electric in India
      Hyundai Kona electric SUV is also on sale in India. Here too it has managed to impress its owners. Recently, Bangalore based owner of Kona electric gave his car for 1st year service. The cost for service including labour charges, taxes, etc – was just Rs 1,043.

      Hyundai Kona getting charged at the PlugNgo electric car charging station in Delhi
      Another owner, again from Bangalore, stated that he managed to do 385 kms run from Bangalore to Coimbatore in his Kona, on a single charge. The owner stated that full charge is achieved in about Rs 250, which implies that it cost him about 65 paise per km.
      Hyundai’s new Ioniq brand
      With Hyundai seeing success in its EV car tech, they have now announced the launch of an all electric sub brand called Ioniq. Under this new brand, Hyundai will launch three new EV models planned for launch over the next 4 years. Extensive plans also see the automaker aim to sell over 1 million units of battery electric vehicles globally. This will help the company to take a market share of 10 percent in EV segment, and go on to become a leader in the global electric vehicle segment by 2025.
      The first Ioniq will be the Ioniq 5 midsized crossover SUV set for launch in 2021. It will be followed by the Ioniq 6 sedan in 2022 while in 2024 the Ioniq 7 large SUV will be launched. Each of these vehicles will be built on a global modular platform which Hyundai calls the E-GMP. More

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      BS4 Cars, Scooters, Motorcycles registrations allowed by Supreme Court

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      The Supreme Court has allowed registration of BS4 cars and bikes but withheld registration of vehicles sold in Delhi-NCR
      As per the Supreme Court order, all BS4 compliant cars and bikes sold prior to March 31, 2020 can now be registered. The registration of these bikes was put on hold due to the nationwide lockdown announced on 24th March in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ruling has been released following an affidavit filed by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).

      The Court recalled its March 27th order on 8th July 20202, wherein it allowed sales of BS4 vehicles for 10 days following of the lifting of the lockdown across India except for the Delhi-NCR region. The court had also stated in July that details of each of these vehicles sold should be uploaded onto the e-Vahan portal of the Government of India.
      As per such information, there were a total of 9,56,015 BS4 vehicles sold during the period March 12-31 2020 out of which 9,01,223 were registered. In March, FADA had also informed the Court that there were around 7 lakh two wheelers, 15,000 passenger cars and 12,000 commercial vehicles in stock which complied with BS4 standards.

      BS4 Honda Activa. Image for reference
      While the advocate representing FADA – K V Viswanathan states there is no wrongdoing or misuse of this judgement. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Central Government states that around 39,000 vehicles sold after the period and have also not been uploaded onto the e-Vahan portal and hence have been barred for registration. 9,56,015 BS4 vehicles were sold from March 12 and March 31 this year. Of these, 9,01,223 were registered. The temporary hold on BS4 registration was the indication that such vehicles had been sold past their due date.
      Bharat Stage (BS) emission norm
      Bharat Stage emission norms relate to the standards instituted by the Government of India in relation to output of air pollutants from motor vehicles. BS4 norms came into effect from April 2017. In 2016 itself the Center had announced that the country would be skipping the BS5 norms and directly going on to BS6 norms from April 2020. As per the Supreme Court directives, no BS4 compliant vehicle could be sold or registered in India post 1st April 2020.
      Even as several automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Hyundai and Mahindra have already transitioned a major chunk of their product portfolio to BS6 from BS4, there were complaints from auto dealers who raised doubts about being able to liquidate inventory prior to the stipulated deadline.
      Covid-19 pandemic added to these woes and hence the top court gave orders that vehicles sold and could not be registered in view of the lockdown that followed could be registered by a later date following a 10 day extension granted. However, concerns arose when the number of BS4 vehicle sold in March 2020 despite lockdown appeared to be much too high. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Tata Nexon Electric modified with Bigger Slotted Brakes – Video

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      Pune-based Northway Motorsport has major plans to make a factory-fresh Tata Nexon EV “better” in terms of performance and dynamics
      At the moment, the Indian automotive market has three ‘proper’ electric four-wheelers: Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona. Meanwhile, Mahindra & Mahindra has reached the final developmental stages of its eXUV300 or XUV300 Electric. Showcased at Auto Expo 2020 as a concept, the upcoming Mahindra eXUV300 will be a direct rival to the Tata Nexon EV.

      Priced from Rs 13.99 lakh ex-showroom, the Tata Nexon Electric debuted with the Indian automaker’s all-new Ziptron electric architecture. It comes in three trims: XM, XZ+ and XZ+ Lux. As per the newly formed Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, the all-electric sub-four-metre crossover is eligible for an incentive summing up to Rs 1.5 lakh in the capital city. The government is really pushing towards cleaner and emission-free modes of transportation, especially in densely populated cities.
      Powering the Tata Nexon EV is a ~95kW (127bhp) PMSM electric motor coupled to a 30.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Peak torque is rated at 245Nm. In ideal conditions, the EV boasts of a range of 312km (ARAI figure) on full juice. It can hit 100km/h from a standstill within 10 seconds. A fast-charger helps the battery attain 80 per cent charge in about an hour’s time. Tata Motors recently introduced a subscription plan for the Nexon EV.
      Tata Nexon Electric mod by Northway Motorsport
      Pune-based EV specialists Northway Motorsport has acquired a Tata Nexon EV with the aim to “make it better”. Hemank Dabhade, Director of Northway Motorsport, states that he is quite impressed with what the EV has to offer in stock avatar. Still, he believes that there is room for improvement.

      [embedded content]

      Dubbed ‘The Best Nexon EV Project’, the entire build will be documented on his YouTube channel, Hemank Dabhade. Over the months, we have shared quite a few interesting projects from Northway Motorsport such as Chevrolet Beat diesel-EV conversion, Honda Activa Electric and most recently, Maruti 800 Electric.
      Mods & upgrades planned
      The very first set of mods include better brakes and bigger wheels since the vehicle has (relatively) high torque characteristics. The stock front ventilated disc brakes (single-piston callipers) were swapped with bigger slotted rotors with six-piston callipers. Of course, this was not a direct fit and hence, a custom-made bracket was required. To house the new pair of discs, bigger rims proved a necessity. Hemank chose a set of 17-inch five-spokes shod with Ultramile UM R5 tyres.
      The higher unsprung mass might take a toll on the Tata Nexon Electric’s original performance but Northern Motorsport has several upgrades in the pipeline to make up for it. Furthermore, this could soon be the very first performance-enhanced Tata Nexon EV in the country. More