Long-range Tata Nexon EV to launch on April 20

The Nexon EV with a 40kWh battery is expected to be sold alongside the current 30.2kWh variant.

Published On Apr 06, 2022 05:55:00 PM

80,297 Views

Tata Motors is expected to launch the long-range Nexon EV on April 20, 2022. Featuring a larger 40kWh battery pack, it will effectively increase the car’s range to an estimated 400km on the official test cycle. The long-range Nexon EV is expected to be sold alongside the existing Nexon EV, giving buyers a choice in terms of range and price.

The Nexon EV long range's price announcement, slated for April 20, follows the debut of the Curvv concept that was shown earlier today. Tata Motors is expected to introduce another product on April 28, 2022.

Long-range Tata Nexon EV expected to launch on April 20
Will get a bigger 40kWh battery pack along with selectable regen modes
Likely to cost Rs 3 lakh-4 lakh more than the standard Nexon EV

Tata Nexon EV long range: more features expected

We were the first to report that Tata Motors is working on a long-range Nexon EV. A test mule of this EV was also spotted in February. As seen in the photos, the long-range Nexon EV is unlikely to sport any significant cosmetic changes to the exteriors and interiors, although there will be major changes under the skin.

The biggest update on the long-range Nexon EV will be a larger 40kWh battery pack. It is a significant 30 percent increase over the existing model’s 30.2kWh. To accommodate the larger battery pack, Tata Motors will modify the Nexon EV’s floor plan, and the boot space is also likely to be sacrificed.

The larger battery pack, however, does result in a significantly higher range. The existing Nexon has an ARAI-claimed range of 312km, and the updated model is expected to have a range of over 400km on the official test cycle. Therefore, a real-world range of 300-320km could be expected on a single charge. For reference, in our tests of the existing Nexon EV, we managed a real-world range of 200-220km on a single charge.

The long-range Nexon EV is also expected to get selectable regen modes, allowing drivers to adjust the intensity of regenerative braking, which, in turn, improves range. While the existing Nexon EV also gets variable regen, it is mild and non-adjustable. What can also be confirmed is that this variant will also get some additional features such as ventilated seats, cruise control, park mode, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and more.

The larger battery and other technical upgrades on the long-range Nexon EV will see it priced higher than the current model by approximately Rs 3 lakh-4 lakh.

However, the reason for the huge success of the Nexon EV has been its well-judged price-to-range ratio, which has invited many early EV adopters to Tata dealerships. This end of the market is more sensitive to price than range, and the Nexon EV is the most affordable electric SUV in our market today. Although its real-world range of about 200km is lesser than rivals, buyers mainly use it as a city runabout. Tata will surely not want to let go of the Nexon EV’s biggest USP.

However, with the rising popularity of EVs and improving charging infrastructure, buyers are looking for electric cars that can venture out of the city. As public charging stations on highways are still far and few in between, real-world range becomes crucial. Hence, there’s a case for both models to exist simultaneously, catering to different needs of different buyers.

Long-range Tata Nexon EV: rivals

With the higher price tag of the long-range Nexon EV, Tata Motors will inch closer to the Hyundai Kona Electric and MG ZS EV. However, the locally manufactured long-range Nexon EV will still have a price advantage over Hyundai and MG, which come to India through the CKD route.

Recently, MG introduced the facelifted ZS EV, which comes with a bigger 50.3kWh battery pack. Along with it, the car sports revised exteriors and interiors, along with a longer equipment list.

Hyundai is also expected to unveil the facelifted Kona Electric in the Indian market sometime this year, as a part of their strategy to launch four new SUVs in the country this year.

Also see:

Tata Nexon EV review, road test

Tata future proofs EV line-up with three platform strategy