Hello team, I am 55 years old and drive about 140 km daily in Delhi-Gurgaon traffic. I have been driving an Ertiga CNG for the last five months, and it is very difficult to handle the pressure of a manual transmission and daily CNG refilling. I am looking for an automatic vehicle that avoids daily refilling and is comfortable. My budget is around ₹15 lakh. I am confused between an EV, a hybrid, or any other option. Kindly advise.

Autocar India

•3w

140km a day is a fair bit of running, and we can understand why the low running cost of CNG appealed to you. But as you say, CNG has its downsides, and queuing to fill it is one of them.

A hybrid is a good altenative but there is nothing available in your Rs 15 lakh budget. There are lots of good petrol and diesel automatics in the Rs. 15 lakh range, but the fuel cost would burn a hole in your pocket. An EV makes the most sense, and this is an opportune time to switch to one. They are the best automatics, and you will find EVs a joy to drive after dealing with the heavy clutch of your manual Maruti Ertiga.

We assume you can install a home charger, in which case your other bugbear of filling at a fuel station is eliminated. Your fuel station is effectively at home. And with the home charging, your electricity costs are low, which in turn makes your 140km drive extremely light on the pocket. The trouble is that there are not too many EVs around the Rs 15 lakh mark, but there are some good options.

The new Tata Punch EV is the best option, but it's a little tight in the back. However, since you drive yourself, this shouldn’t be an issue. A cheaper alternative, but not as nice to drive, is the Tata Tiago EV, a no-nonsense car with a lower range than the Punch. So, you will have to charge it every day.

Explore cars mentioned

Tata

Punch EV

from ₹10.28 Lakh

Tata

Tiago EV

from ₹8.51 Lakh

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