Electric cars in India are now quite mainstream. They are no longer being bought solely as a second vehicle, but even first-time car buyers aren’t afraid of taking the plunge into the world of EVs. After all, there’s nothing that comes close to EVs in terms of running costs. While public charging infrastructure still has a long way to go, electric vehicles are arguably the best choice if you are living in an urban environment and have access to home/office charging. Here, we’ve listed the five cheapest electric cars currently on sale in India that are well-suited for the urban grind.
1. MG Comet EV
Price: Rs 7.50 lakh-10 lakh
The MG Comet is currently the cheapest EV car on sale in India. As a strict city commuter, the Comet is superb, as compact dimensions make it extremely manoeuvrable. Moreover, this car has a very cute appeal. It is also reasonably spacious for four adults despite a 2-door body style, and it comes well-equipped, too. The Comet EV’s downsides are its small battery, which limits range, and the tiny 12-inch wheels that do not lend it a good ride quality on our imperfect roads.
2. Tata Tiago EV
Price: Rs 7.99 lakh-11.14 lakh
Up next on the list of cheap EV cars in India is the Tata Tiago EV. It has a more practical 4-door body style, making for a sensible entry point into the world of electric cars. The Tiago EV also scores well with a smooth and refined powertrain and excellent ride quality, and it’s very economical to run, too. The compact dimensions also help its case as an urban runabout, and the interior is reasonably feature-packed. Just don’t expect typical EV-like performance; this one is more sedate in nature.
3. Tata Punch EV
Price: Rs 9.69 lakh-12.59 lakh
The Tata Punch EV comes with two LFP battery packs, with the larger one featuring higher-density prismatic cells and a claimed range of up to 468km. As for the variant with the smaller battery, its claimed range is about 375km. Plugged into the included 3.3kWh AC charger, the SoC can rise from 10-100 percent in about 11.9 hours and 14.8 hours for the smaller and larger battery packs, respectively. The Punch EV remains the brand’s most affordable electric SUV while also offering budget-conscious buyers a wide range of convenience and safety features, a supple ride and usable everyday performance.
4. Tata Tigor EV
Price: Rs 12.49 lakh-13.75 lakh
The Tigor EV is the only sedan to feature in this list of most affordable EV cars. It adds a proper boot over the Tiago EV, solving one of the hatchback’s biggest gripes. It also gets a slightly larger battery, and thereby, more range, but it’s hard to justify the premium over the Tiago EV. Otherwise, the Tigor EV carries over the strengths of good ride quality, a well-specced cabin and a refined powertrain from its hatchback sibling.
5. Citroen eC3
Price: Rs 12.90 lakh-13.53 lakh
The last on our list of five most affordable EV cars in India is the eC3. It is an electric derivative of the C3 hatchback, with a boxy and upright body that lends it a spacious interior. And like most Citroens, it rides very comfortably as well. However, it is rather sparsely equipped, and performance is also quite dull, so it lacks the typical wow factor that EV buyers expect. However, the eC3 offers decent real-world range, quite comparable to that of the Punch EV, and is often listed with very attractive discounts. So, if you are able to get a good deal on this, it makes for a fairly reasonable choice.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Saumil Shah
Dipan Sur
Uday Singh
