The emergence of electrically powered vehicles has kept the Indian Electric vehicle industry on its toes. There are a series of Indian companies that are ready to put their foot on the accelerator and dive into the diverse market waiting to be explored. Here’s a list of the top 10 electric vehicle manufacturers that you need to look out for:
1. Mahindra Electric
Mahindra is gearing up for the launch of its much-awaited eKUV100 mini SUV and EXUV300 before the end of this quarter. The cars were unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo, and the new electric mini SUV will cost Rs 8.25 lakh (ex-showroom).
2. Tata Motors
Tata’s recently unveiled the new model of Altroz which has already set the bar high for the hot hatchbacks in the country. The company will launch the electric derivative of the Altroz hatchback in the country at the end of 2021.
Altroz EV is expected to pack the same powertrain as the Nexon EV. The 30.2kWh battery pack is expected to offer a range of 250 km to 300 km. The battery can be charged up to 80% in 60 mins using the DC fast charger and can be fully charged in 8 hours using a regular power socket.
3. Hyundai
Hyundai has charged up the Indian electric vehicle ecosystem, with its Kona EV. The company launched its electric car in India with an ARAI-certified range of 452 km. Equipped with a lithium-ion polymer battery, against the conventional nickel-metal hybrid batteries Kona offers excellent charging and discharging efficiency. The company has also claimed that EV has been designed to make it more suitable for Indian operating conditions.
4. Maruti Suzuki
Maruti is known to manufacture one of the most popular cars in the country – WagonR and now the popular company has even launched it electric version called Maruti WagonR EV. Maruti Suzuki has been road-testing the WagonR EV for quite some time now and the car was planned to launch in 2020, however, the reason cited for the delay was reportedly said to be poor infrastructure.
5. Jaguar
The leading automobile brand was “official” purchased by Tata Motors Ltd, and now even Jaguar is expected to launch the I-Pace in India in 2021. The Tata-owned British carmaker’s I-Pace is built on the bespoke EV aluminum chassis and has a coupe-like silhouette and the styling is inspired by the Jaguar C-X75 supercar.
6. Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland is reportedly the fourth largest bus maker in the world and it unveiled its first electric bus Circuit in 2016 and Circuit S at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo. The company reportedly claims of designing its busses according to the Indian conditions and has tied up with Sun Mobility to enhance its expertise in the field of electric vehicles. It even introduced battery swapping in electric buses to address e-mobility needs in the country.
7. Hero Electric
Hero Electric comes under the Hero Eco Group, a multi-company, multi-product, and multi-location enterprise with diversified interests in EVs, exports, bicycles, healthcare, and real estate which has rolled out more than a dozen electric vehicles in the country. The company is considered one of the front runners in the electric vehicle segment and has electric two-wheelers as well as electric three-wheelers.
8. MG Motors
The company created a lot of buzz with the launch of its Hector SUV and has also recently introduced its MG ZS electric car. The car is strategically placed to compete against Hyundai Kona electric.
9. Ather Energy
Ather is one of the upcoming brands in the Indian market which launched its Ather 450 & Ather 340 electric scooter Models last year. These are primarily designed for city usage and the company claims that both the electric scooters have been designed to address various problems in EV two-wheeler segment such as slow charging, low powered motors as well as shorter battery life.
10. Lohia Auto
The company offers a wide range of electric scooters, three-wheelers as well as e-autos in the country. Lohia’s E-Auto HS was launched at Delhi Auto Expo in 2018 which offers a load capacity of 40 kg and offers seating for five people including the driver.
11. Kinetic Green
Kinetic Group is a Rs 7,000-crore group that was established by Sulajja Firodia Motwani around five years ago. ‘Green’ in Kinetic Green stands for green technology and it aims at innovating and pioneering in the field of Electric Vehicles. The company has its own IPR platform of electric three-wheelers and claims that the vehicles are developed based on the needs of society.