I use my car for a daily commute of 20-30 km, and we rarely travel outside the city, only once every few months. Should I buy an EV, a hybrid, or a petrol car? My budget is Rs. 15-18 lakh.

autocar.india

•5h

Pick the Tata Nexon EV for your use. It will comfortably cover your 140km daily run on a single charge, with a real 250-300 km range, and its high ground clearance and tough suspension handle broken village roads without scraping. Tata’s service reach and roadside help are the best among mass EVs here, so support in smaller towns is easier. It is not the quickest to fast charge, and the ride can feel a bit busy on sharp ruts, but it takes abuse well.On a tighter budget, the Tata Punch EV also works for 140 km days if you charge at home every night.

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Punch EV

autocar.india

•21h

Get the Tata Tiago EV - it removes the E20 petrol worry completely, is the easiest automatic to drive in traffic, and keeps costs low. Its small size and light controls make it friendly for a new driver, parking is simple, and home charging in your own parking is exactly what works best. Running costs are far lower than petrol, and there’s no gearbox hassle or engine heat in stop-go city use.If you want something a bit taller with more range, look at the Tata Punch EV - still easy, just pricier. If you want the tiniest city tool and don’t carry rear passengers much, the MG Comet is super compact, but it has two doors and a tiny boot. If you must stick to petrol, consider Maruti Baleno automatic or Hyundai Exter automatic - both are E20 compliant, so warranty worry should be minimal - but they’ll cost more to run than an EV in the city.

Tata Tiago EV

Tata Punch EV

autocar.india

•1d

For long drives from Pune to Goa or Hyderabad in any EV, you will be required to quickly charge once along the way, to reach your destination comfortably, without any range anxiety. The Punch EV is an excellent choice - it is compact, value-for-money, and its real-world range of over 300km is rather good. Kia will be launching the Syros EV in the coming weeks. The Syros is surprisingly spacious, interior quality is top-notch, and going by the Clavis EV's efficient and smooth powertrain, the EV version of the Syros will certainly be worth considering. Go for the EVs only if you can arrange for home charging. If not, then the Kia Seltos will be our pick. It is comfortable, spacious, feature-rich, and the petrol is smooth, refined and more efficient than the Renault Duster. The Duster's ride-handling balance is outstanding and its boot is larger than the Seltos too, however the Kia comes across as the more rounded option.

Tata Punch EV

Kia Seltos

Renault Duster