Mumbai-based EV start-up PMV Electric has launched a microcar, the Eas-E, at a starting price of Rs 4.79 lakh (ex-showroom). Technically, this makes the new EV microcar the cheapest electric car in the personal mobility vehicle segment in India, though it isn't a full-fledged passenger car and is classified as a quadricycle. 

1. PMV Eas-E available in three range options: 120, 160, 200km
2. Quadricycle can seat only two adults
3. Eas-E’s e-motor produces 13hp, 50Nm

Pre-orders for the Eas-E have already begun for Rs 2,000 and PMV states that it has already received more than 6,000 pre-orders from India and international markets. The Eas-E will be manufactured at the firm’s Pune plant and PMV aims to start deliveries by mid-2023. It is also offered with a 3-year/ 50,000km warranty. 

PMV Eas-E EV: what is it? 

The microcar is essentially a two-seater quadricycle, with the passenger sitting behind the driver. Despite this, the PMV Eas-E has four doors, giving the two occupants option to enter from both sides. 

PMV Eas-E EV: technical specifications

While PMV hasn’t mentioned the battery capacity in the Eas-E, it did mention that the microcar comes with a 48V lithium-iron-phosphate battery. PMV claims the Eas-E can be charged using a 15A socket in less than four hours using the onboard charger. The microcar can be had in three range options – 120, 160 and 200km (claimed) – and PMV says the cost of running the Eas-E will be less than 75 paise per km. 

The IP67-rated permanent magnet synchronous motor produces 13hp and 50Nm of torque, sending power to the front wheels. PMV claims Eas-E can achieve a 0-40kph time of under 5sec and can reach a top speed of 70kph.

At 1,157mm in width, the PMV Eas-E is narrower than the other quadricycle currently available in India, the Bajaj Qute, which measures 1,312mm wide. In all other dimensions, the Eas-E is larger than the Qute. The PMV is 2,915mm long and 1,600mm tall, while the Bajaj is 2,752mm long and 1,652mm tall. The Eas-E has a wheelbase of 2,080mm and has a ground clearance of 170mm. 

To put things in perspective, another small car that was offered in India – the Tata Nano – measured 3,099mm long, 1,495mm wide and 1,652mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,230mm and a ground clearance of 180mm.

PMV Eas-E EV: design

Up front, the Eas-E sports a blanked-off grille design, which also incorporates LED daytime running lamps. It has two round headlamps and a single windscreen wiper. In profile, the microcar is short and stumpy, with its window line swooping upwards at the C-pillar. It also gets a thin LED lightbar for its tail-lights along with two circular auxiliary lamps in the rear bumper. The microcar is available in single- and dual-tone colour options. 

PMV Eas-E EV: interior, features

Being a quadricycle, the Eas-E has the steering wheel mounted in the centre of the dashboard, and the handbrake placed on the left of the manually-adjustable driver’s seat. Most of the switchgear on the dashboard and the steering wheel seems to be lifted off Honda’s parts bin. The Eas-E also has an LCD digital instrument cluster and an infotainment display with onboard navigation and smartphone connectivity. 

It comes with multiple driving modes, regenerative braking, single-pedal driving, remote parking assist, cruise control, and follow-me-home lights, along with remote connectivity and diagnostics. PMV also states that the Eas-E will be offered with 4G connectivity and will get over-the-air (OTA) updates. 

PMV Eas-E EV: rivals

As the PMV Eas-E is classified as an electric quadricycle, it currently has no direct rivals. The only other rival it has is the Bajaj Qute, which is an internal combustion engine-powered quadricycle.