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      Maruti Solido, Espaco, Libertas Car Names For New SUV, MPV, Electric ?

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      Maruti Suzuki has planned slew of new car launches in India by 2022-23
      Providing a glimpse of what Maruti Suzuki’s portfolio might look like in the near future, trademark names of some of the company’s upcoming cars have been leaked online. The names revealed in the trademarks journal are Espaco, Libertas and Solido.

      All the names were filed by Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) on August 13 and approved on September 14. The trademarks are applicable for Class 12 products and the description reveals that the names are to be used for “vehicle; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water”.
      Next-gen products or all-electric variants?
      It is possible that these new names could be used for all new cars and SUVs the company is planning to launch in the near future. There is a higher probability that these new names could be used for all-electric variants of Alto, Celerio and WagonR. The names come across as youthful and trendy and will go well with all-electric cars. Something like that will be really surprising, as bestselling products usually don’t go for a name change.
      Maruti Libertas
      At this stage, it would be too early to predict which new name will be used for which car. However, there’s no harm in a little guesswork. While Espaco and Libertas are entirely new names, Solido sounds similar to Solio, which is a mini MPV produced by Suzuki since 1997.
      Maruti Solido
      As Solio looks like a larger and more premium version of WagonR. It is possible that the new name Solido could be applied to the all-electric variant of WagonR. The name could also be given to the 7-seater WagonR MPV that Maruti is expected to launch in the coming months.
      Maruti Solido
      Other line of thought says that Solid could be an SUV. Considering that it has the word Solid in the name, which probably suits more to an SUV, than a hathback. Solido could be used for the Toyota-Maruti SUV, which will rival the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. This is expected to be launched by 2022.
      Maruti ESPACO
      Similarly, Espaco could be the name of Toyota-Maruti MPVs electric version. As the name somewhat implies that the car has to do something with ‘space’ – it more suits an MPV. We all know that Toyota and Maruti are planning to launch an MPV in 2023, which will sit above the Ertiga in company line-up. This new next gen Maruti Toyota MPV could come in electric as well, and thus the name eSpaco.
      Maruti ESPACO
      Maruti continues to dominate the Indian auto industry with close to 50% market share in passenger vehicle (PV) segment. However, it cannot stay immune to the new challenges that are coming its way. Things can change pretty fast in the auto industry, as we have seen with new products such as MG Hector, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue, and Kia Sonet. We have already seen Maruti Brezza’s dominance in compact SUV space cut short with new rival products. Something similar can happen in other segments as well.
      The battle to dominate EV space
      If it wants, Maruti can emerge as a major player in the all-electric segment over the next 5-10 years. The company is yet to launch a product in this space, but considering its capabilities and wide dealer network, it could easily catch up with rivals. As of now, there are primarily three fully-electric cars in the Indian market – Hyundai Kona, MG ZS and Tata Nexon EV.
      All-electric WagonR could be launched as an affordable EV with decent range for city needs. The same applies to electric versions of Alto and Celerio. With cool sounding names such as Espaco, Libertas and Solido, Maruti could be on its way to create a new breed of bestsellers in the Indian automotive space. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric XM Base Variant With Steel Wheels – First Look

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      Nexon EV’s base variant- XM is well equipped and features distinguishing elements from its ICE counterpart
      Tata Nexon is currently the most affordable electric car in India for general consumers and therefore forms 60 percent of market share in the electric vehicle (EV) segment in India. Even though the EV segment is still at a nascent stage in our market, Nexon EV has managed to garner attention as a fruitful offering with zero emissions.

      Nexon EV is offered in three variants- XM, XZ Plus and XZ Plus Luxury. Most of the videos we have seen till now, were of the top variants only. But now, thanks to a video uploaded by Narru’s Auto vlog’s, a walkaround video of the base XM trim highlights each and every detail of the base Nexon EV.
      Exterior Highlights
      Nexon EV is available in three different colours- Signature Teal Blue, Moonlight Silver and Glacier White. The car shown in the video sports the white paint scheme. The XZ Plus and top-end XZ Plus Lux trims are only provided in dual-tone colour options. Apart from single tone colours, instead of body-coloured door handles, this variant receives black door handles. It gets 16-inch steel rims with wheel covers with blue inserts as opposed to the 16-inch alloys in the higher-spec trims.
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      The ORVMs too are blacked out instead of receiving body-coloured ORVMs, so are the A and B pillars. The ORVMs do come with integrated turn indicators. Black body cladding on either side is another standard visual on all trims. The base XM gets a pole-type antenna instead of a shark-fin antenna. Fog-lights are also missing from this variant. It gets a blue-coloured strip underneath the piano black grille which adds a nice contrast so that people get to know that this is an EV.
      The tri-arrow shape detailing can be seen at a lot of places including the blue-inserts on the front and rear bumpers, tail lamps and DRLs. ‘EV’ badging has been sprayed generously all over the car. The tailgate gets a piano black finish between the tail lights which also sports the ZIPTRON badging. There are no more visual differences when compared to the higher-spec trims.
      Features on offer

      In terms of equipment, it gets projector headlamps with integrated DRLs, electrically adjustable ORVMs, LED taillights, automatic climate control, start-stop button, passive keyless entry and much more. It gets a standard 2-DIN stereo system with a 4-speaker setup from HARMAN with Bluetooth connectivity and steering mounted audio controls. The base variant has been well-kitted since it targets general audiences, not fleet operators, who aspire to make a transition from an IC engine car to an EV.
      Powertrain
      Nexon EV is built on Tata Motors’ latest ZIPTRON powertrain which uses a 3-phase Permanent Magnet synchronous motor which draws its power from a 30.2KWH Lithium-ion battery pack. This setup produces a maximum of 129 PS power and 245 Nm of torque.
      The company claims a range of 312 km (ARAI) with an approximate charging time of 8.5 hours from 10 percent to 90 percent. Real world mileage claimed by owners is in the range of 170 – 250 kms. A DC fast charger takes 60 minutes to charge from 0-80 percent. The base XM variant is retailed at a price of Rs 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom). More

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      Renault Kwid 800cc modified into an Electric Hybrid in Kerala

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      A group of 5 mechanical engineering graduates from Kerala have been working upon modifying a Renault Kwid into a hybrid vehicle
      The group had graduated from Rajagiri School of Engineering back in 2018 and had worked upon converting a Maruti 800 into an electric vehicle (with a range of around 50km). They had displayed the modified vehicle at multiple expos and got appreciation for the same.

      Iype Koshy, a businessman from Trivandrum also came across their previous project and decided to set up a company with the group which now specializes in converting cars into hybrid vehicles and has aspirations to get into Hydrogen and Electric powered cars. The company is known as HyMotiv and their latest project involves the Renault Kwid Hybrid, which is the focus of our story.
      Powertrain
      The highlight of the project happens to be its Hybrid powertrain. The team has retained Kwid’s petrol engine but additionally added electric motors in the rear wheels to make the vehicle an hybrid. So now, the vehicle can run on petrol alone, electric power alone or a combination of both the two.

      The engine produces power like in a conventional Kwid, however the 34 hp motors in the rear wheels help with additional power output for the Kwid. All 4 wheels have been fitted with disc brakes, which help with sufficient braking power to safely maneuver the vehicle.
      The total range of the electric-only powertrain is 150 km. The battery of the project has been sourced from China but the team intends to replace it with an Indian-made battery soon. The motors and controllers have been imported from USA. Overall for the drive, the major traction comes from the electric motors which contributes to around 65% of the power output.
      A synchronizer further helps to balance the speeds between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle. Combined mileage of the powertrain stands at 48 km/l. The team also states that they have installed a pollution reduction mechanism through which they can reduce the emissions by 60% and improve the mileage by 20%. Team claims that they have already filed a patent for the same.

      The battery takes 5 hours for a complete charge via a standard wall mounted charger. On the inside, the car includes an electric motor drive selector on the dashboard. Upon start, the car automatically starts in the ICE mode and then manually needs to shifted to EV-only mode or Hybird mode, as per requirement.
      Additional Tech
      The team has also worked upon a fatigue detection system which includes smart spectacles which can detect closing of driver’s eye lids. The first level alarm includes a vibration in the spectacles while the second level alarm includes a pronounced warning from the speakers. They are also working upon monitoring brain waves to further improve the accuracy of their fatigue detection system.
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      Taking a cue from Global OEMs which have worked upon autonomous driving technology, the team has plans to introduce auto park function which will allow the car to park in a designated spot while taking directions from the mind of the driver remotely. This technology too is under preliminary development stage and it will be interesting to see the final result sometime in the future.
      Overall, the Renault Kwid Hybrid Electric is an impressive attempt at localized modifications, however it is still far away from being commercially viable. However, we are hopeful that in the coming years, similar entrepreneurs can possibly help to change the auto-landscape of the country. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric Driving Experience Improved With Software Update

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      There could be marginal improvement in driving range as well
      The Tata Nexon EV, India’s best selling electric passenger car, has received a new software update that is aimed at improving the overall driving experience. The latest software version 2.07 can be installed by taking the vehicle to the authorized service center.
      Tata Nexon EV software update – what’s new?

      The Nexon EV’s V 2.07 software update is reported to have improved the vehicle’s creep function by reducing the response time between releasing the brake pedal and the vehicle moving forward. The overall operation is said to be smoother than before.
      Another significant upgrade comes in the form of improved brake energy regeneration which was considered to be intrusive by some owners when the state-of-charge (SoC) is less than 20%. The brake pedal effort has also been reduced and this could be partially due to the changes made to the regeneration operation.
      Tata Nexon EV – Hemank
      Furthermore, Tata Motors’ engineering team has brought forth improvements in sensor calibration to achieve more accuracy in energy consumption (Wh/km) reading. The coasting function has also been optimized for better driving experience on the highway. The overall changes are expected to improve the range marginally but there is no data to prove at this point.
      Nexon EV Performance
      Priced from Rs 14 lakhs, ex-sh, Nexon Electric is powered by an PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) which is powered by a 30.2 kWh lithium ion battery pack. Power delivery is rated at 129 PS while torque output is 245 Nm. Two drive modes are on offer called Drive and Sports. The system is powered by Tata Ziptron technology.
      Drive range of Nexon EV on a fully charged battery is claimed to be at 312 kms. But real world drive range is a lot lesser. Some owners have reported getting range of 170 kms while some have even managed to get 250+ kms. It largely depends on how you drive the car, in what conditions.
      Nexon EV Sales
      Since its launch, Nexon has been the best selling passenger electric car in the country. In the current fiscal year, Nexon EV sales have reached almost 850 units. While sales of other passenger EVs – MG ZS was at 387 units while Hyundai Kona was at 71 units. It is also to be noted here that Nexon is the most affordable of the three.
      Along with Tigor EV and eVerito, the total passenger E-Car sales in India for April 2020 to Aug 2020 stood at 1,408 units. Nexon EV has lion’s share in the market, which is at 60.23%. In the future, Tata plans to launch electric Altroz as well as electric HBX. This will help the company improve their market share in the electric car segment even further.
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      Delhi Govt to deposit Electric Vehicle Subsidy in bank account of EV buyers

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      Under this new EV Policy, the Delhi Government will provide subsidies to buyers of electric vehicles
      Delhi Government is set to become the first state government in India to implement its Electric Vehicle policy. The state is likely to roll out the subsidy schemes under the new electric vehicle (EV) policy next week.

      The Delhi Government had notified the EV policy for the national capital last month after a formal announcement by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The policy was adopted with the aim to boost economy and reduce pollution levels in Delhi which is considered to be one of the most polluted cities in the world.
      At the time of the announcement, CM Kejriwal said that the new policy aimed at registering five lakh new EVs in the next five years. Officials of private nationalised bank- ICICI demonstrated a software to Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot which would be used for the disbursement of subsidies under the policy.
      Ather e-scooters will soon launch in Delhi. File photo
      Provisions Under This Policy
      This new EV policy will provide incentives up to Rs 30,000 for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws while offering a massive incentive of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for electric cars. This new EV policy will be valid for three years after which the government will review the conclusion of the policy. All the benefits offered under this policy will be relevant over and above the already existing Central Government’s FAME 2.0 policy.
      According to the payment mechanism of this policy, the subsidy will be transferred to eligible owners within two days to their bank accounts after confirmation from concerned motor licensing officers. Also, the dealers of EVs need to be self-registered with the Transport department of Delhi government so that they are able to transfer the subsidies to the beneficiary’s bank account.
      Also, the road tax and registration fee will be waived off by the state government under this scheme. Financial institutions will also provide low-interest loans to commercial EV owners. Not only this but the government will provide a 100 percent subsidy for purchasing charging equipment priced under Rs 6,000 for the first 30,000 charging sockets across the city. The new policy also mandates new residential societies and offices to reserve 20 percent parking space for EVs.
      After introduction of the new EV policy, Delhi is set to become the nerve centre of electric vehicles in India. Until the previous month, over the 11 million vehicles plying on Delhi roads, currently, only 83,730 are electric vehicles out of which majority are e-rickshaws. A similar policy in other states would definitely boost the EV movement in India. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric PDU of Rs 1 Lakh Replaced For Free During 1st Service

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      Owner of brand new Tata Nexon Electric has revealed that the service center replaced Power Distribution Unit or PDU for free
      Tata Nexon EV is priced between INR 13.99 lakh to 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore). It is currently the most affordable passenger electric SUV. It holds a 60% market share in the country’s electric four wheeler electric passenger car space for April-Aug 2020 period. The green crossover recently received a further INR 1.5 lakh subsidy from the Delhi government under its updated EV policy.

      With sales of the Nexon EV growing, more and more owners are sharing interesting facts about the new SUV. Some days ago, a Pune based owner shared real world mileage of Nexon EV. Now, Nexon EV owner from West Bengal, has shared the cost of first service.
      Nexon EV owner from Bengal (Youtube channel GodSpeed) gave his car for first service when the car had done about 1,500 kms. The service center said that they will need to keep the car for two days. They called him on the 2nd day and said that they will need to replace the Power Distribution Unit (PDU) of his Nexon EV.
      Tata Nexon Electric PDU replaced
      PDU is more or less the brain of electric car. It has multiple functions like battery charging and management system, electric motor control, air condition control system, electric steering system, short circuit protection, electric current leak protection, IP protection as well as control braking system.
      This is the reason that it does not come cheap. As per the service bill shared, PDU of Tata Nexon EV costs about Rs 1.02 lakhs. As the car was under warranty, this unit was replaced for free. The bill was Zero Rupees. It is to be noted here that the Nexon EV comes with an 8 years / 1.6 lakh kms warranty for battery and motor. It is not clear as to why the PDU was replaced, as the owner had not reported of any issues.
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      Tata Nexon EV at a glance
      To recap, the compact electric SUV is powered by a PMSM which is rated at 129 hp and 245 Nm of torque. Battery pack is a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion unit which offers a range of 312 km. The Tata Nexon EV is claimed to accelerate from rest to ton in 9.9 seconds.
      The estimated regular charging time (from 10% SOC to 90%) stands at 8.5 hours via any 15 A plug point while fast charging takes 60 mins from 0 to 80%. The vehicle’s energy efficiency is rated at 100 Wh/km.
      Tata Nexon EV’s Ziptron Power Electronics
      Feature highlights include regenerative braking, hill ascent assist, hill descent assist, powered sunroof, leatherette interiors, alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment system, smartphone connectivity, automatic climate control, leather wrapped steering wheel and so on.
      With several noticeable improvements, the Tata Nexon EV software has made the crossover more appealing. With the festive season approaching, we expect the Nexon EV to maintain its segment leadership by garnering more sales. Competition comes from the Hyundai Kona EV and MG ZS EV. More

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      Bajaj Chetak based Husqvarna Electric Scooter launch in 2021

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      The Husqvarna E-01 electric scooter will have Europe as its primary market
      A leaked internal document has thrown light on short term plans of KTM and its sister brand Husqvarna. The latter is clearly gearing up to establish a strong presence in the affordable electric two wheeler segment. Husqvarna is planning two EVs in the next two years and both of them will have strong Indian connection.
      Husqvarna E-01 and Bajaj Chetak

      According to the leaked document, a Husqvarna branded electric scooter named E-01 and a motorcycled called E-Pilen are currently under development. The 4 kW electric urban runabout will be launched in 2021. While there are no further details about the Husqvarna E-01, we think it will be based on the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter’s platform. For the uninitiated, Bajaj Auto holds 48% stake in KTM which in turn owns Husqvarna.
      The Indian e-scooter also employs a 4 kW motor making it a viable platform for the Husqvarna scooter to adopt. It also comes with modern connectivity features that a premium offering like E-01 is expected to incorporate.
      Husqvarna electric scooter, motorcycle launch plans featured in company’s annual report to share holders
      Bajaj Auto’s Chakan production facility has already established itself as a global production base for sub-500 cc KTM and Husqvarna road-bikes. Taking advantage of the Chetak’s Indian vendor base and Bajaj’s cost-effective production operations is a no-brainer for Husqvarna.
      Design
      If the thumbnail image of the Husqvarna Electric scooter shown on the leaked image is to be taken as a reference, the premium urban electric scooter will have an edgy concept-like styling. The image does not detail the suspension system of the scooter but we expect the production version to employ telescopic front forks and single-sided rear shock absorber.
      The wheels are also expected to be conventional alloy units with front and rear disc brakes. Being a premium product primarily targeted at Europe, the Husqvarna E-01 will be packed with features such as dual-channel ABS, a color instrument console (probably even a touchscreen), smartphone connectivity and so on.
      India Launch
      Bajaj Chetak Electric
      As we said before, the Husqvarna E-01 is most likely to borrow the Bajaj Chetak’s 4 kW / 16 Nm electric motor and 4.08 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Husqvarna may opt to offer a higher capacity battery pack for an increased range. The Chetak has a claimed range of 95 kms. Top speed is a little over 60 kmph.
      Being made in India does not automatically guarantee that that the Husqvarna E-01 will be sold in domestic market. However, the future of premium electric scooter segment in India appears promising and Husqvarna would do well to be one of the early entrants. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric Owner Shares Points on How To Get 250 kms Drive Range

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      With Tata Nexon electric owners not getting higher drive range, here are some pointers by a fellow Nexon EV owner
      In the last 1 year or so, Electric Vehicles have slowly started to become main-stream, thanks to the introduction of practical products like Hyundai Kona, MG ZS EV and the Tata Nexon EV. However, despite the drive range claims by the OEMs, most users and perspective buyers are still not very well convinced about the range of the EVs which are on offer in India.

      What can possibly help change opinion are real-life reviews from other owners. One such interesting review has come in from Nirvik Banerjee, who shared his experience of ownership of a Tata Nexon EV with Electric Vehicle Web. Nirvik states that he managed to clock over 250 kms on a single charge with his Nexon electric.
      This is a pleasant surprise as many owners have claimed that they failed to get even 180 kms drive range on a full charge with Nexon EV. It is to be noted that the official range claimed by ARAI is of 312 kms, which is in ideal conditions. Hence, 250+ km on a single charge, is actually a good figure. Here are some excerpts from Nirvik’s experience with the Nexon electric.
      Nirwik achieves range of 250+ kms in his Nexon EV from a fully charged battery.
      Purchase Experience – Nirvik had booked a Nexon EV for himself back in December’19 however thanks to the ongoing pandemic, the delivery of his vehicle was delayed and he finally got his car in July’20. Because of the subsidies provided by Maharashtra Government, Nirvik didn’t have to pay road tax or any registration fees. Additionally, he also got a subsidy of Rs 1 lakh upon the ex-showroom price. Below are some tricks to extract the maximum drive range out of your Nexon EV, as per Nirvik.
      1. Take A Break
      Nopes, we aren’t trying to use a jingle of one of the famous chocolate brand in the country. Instead, Nirwik insists that after every 100-120 km or so, it is advisable to take a short break of around 5 minutes. From his experience he states that during long drives in his Nexon EV, the power consumption figure starts to increase slowly after a long stretch. Once he did not take a break after driving for over 120 kms non-stop, and his Nexon EVs MID flashed a message to stop the car and take a break. The battery consumption level at this point had reached 190 Wh/km.
      2. Using the AC Smartly
      Even if you haven’t personally driven an IC engine powered car, we are sure you would have had multiple experiences with drivers who would have insisted that using AC aggressively (extremely low temperature settings) directly reduces their earning potential, thanks to higher fuel consumption while use of an AC. Similar is the case with all EVs too.
      Nirwik usually has a goal to extract around 3 kms from every percentage point of his battery’s charge. Technically, gunning for around 300km against the ARAI claim of 312 km. In order to do so, he suggests that using AC in lower settings helps to conserve battery’s charge. During his city drives, he prefers to stick to 25 degrees Celsius as his preferred temperature setting and keeps the blower at the first point. He further adds that to understand more about the car and to figure out more ways to conserve charge, one should thoroughly read the 250 page long Car Manual.
      3. Right Speed
      Nirwik states that he ensured that his driving speed was around 70-80 kmph mark. It helped him to extract the best possible distance from a single-charge on his Nexon EV.
      4. Go Easy on the Gas
      Well, technically, there is no Gas pedal in an EV. However, just like a typical gasoline powered vehicle, EVs too land up draining energy/power (charge) when there is a requirement of sudden acceleration. Hence, it is advised to use a light-footed driving approach. The speed doesn’t matter significantly, if it is 50 kmph or 80 kmph. What will be critical is if there is no sudden acceleration which drains out battery really fast. Nirwik suggests that one should try to emulate the acceleration which a 1L NA petrol motor would provide with a light foot.
      In case you haven’t driven an EV in the past, we can assure that the new-age EVs have some really good acceleration capabilities, so it surely will be a difficult task to not to get tempted to push the accelerator pedal hard.
      5. Tyre Pressure
      Nirwik states that he used a tyre pressure of 34 psi against the recommended tyre pressure of 32 psi. We would like to add that 1-2 psi difference against the recommended tyre pressure can still be tolerable however inflating the tyres beyond the recommended mark isn’t a great idea, in light of safety risks which such practices come along with.
      6. Usage of the Correct Mode
      In Nirwik’s opinion, one of the most critical requirement to ensure a long-drive range from an EV is to use it in the ‘Drive’ mode, in other words, use the Eco mode and not a performance focused mode which is usually on offer in most EVs. This one is pretty intuitive, even if you have never driven an EV in the past. Talking about the Nexon EV, it comes with 2 drive modes, Sport and Drive and there is almost a 60% difference in the torque output figures between the two.
      Overall, Nirwik managed to complete his trip with two of his friends (more occupants = more weight = lesser mileage) and clocked 256.7 kms on a single charge on his Nexon EV. Additionally, he still had around 6% charge remaining in his battery. As a Nexon EV owner, Nirwik goes on to showcase that long-trips are possible in EVs too, however, one needs to be a little calculative and careful.
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