Hello, I currently drive a VW Virtus GT and absolutely love it. Lately my office commute has changed, and I now have to travel about 50 km a day in Hyderabad traffic, so my fuel bills are increasing. I want to know if switching to an EV is suitable and advisable, as I’m worried about EV after-sales maturity in India and charging infrastructure on highways (like queues at charging stations). Please advise if switching to an EV is a good idea, and if so, which model within the same budget would give me a similar feel to the Virtus.

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Autocar India team · Accepted Answer

If your commute is no more than 50km a day, then yes, an EV could be a good solution for you. It will certainly bring down your running costs compared to a petrol car. After-sales service is not an issue; in fact, EVs require far less maintenance and upkeep than ICE cars. It's mostly consumables - like brake pads - that get changed with subsequent services.

However, what takes a hit is resale value, which for an EV is nowhere as strong as for an ICE car. As for charging infrastructure, it's always advised to have a charger installed at home or at work (or both) to reduce reliance on the public charging network. As it is still developing, and in some regions it is unreliable.

In and around a big city like Hyderabad, however, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. You should, however, plot at least 2-3 charging options on any highway journey you make, as functionality and queues are potential hurdles.

As for which EV to buy, none will give you quite the same thrill as a Volkswagen Virtus GT, especially in the same budget. But you can try out the Mahindra BE6 or the Vinfast VF6, both of which are fast and fun to drive, with a solid build.

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