Renault Planning to Launch Budget-Friendly Kwid Electric in India
French carmaker Renault is bringing a new electric hatchback. Renault Kwid EV has already been launched in China as City K-ZE, and it costs less than $8,700 (Rs. 6,23,000). Its relatively cheap entry price is partly due to the fact that it was designed by Renault and its Chinese JV partner Dongfeng.
The price for India should be less or equal to Rs 10 lakh including other charges and taxes. The prices may come down a little as the government has given many tax sops for electric cars in India, but that too may vary according to state EV policies. The ultra-affordable Renault EV is expected to be launched in India by 2022.
The sales of cars in India has taken a significant beating due but sales of EVs have been in green due to the government’s push for electric mobility.
Renault’s Kwid EV hatchback will be equipped with a 26.8 kWh battery powering a permanent magnet synchronous motor.
It makes 44PS of maximum power and 25 Nm of peak torque. This gives the car a top speed of 105 kmph. The battery supports fast charging which can charge it from 30 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. A standard charger takes around 4 hours for a full charge.
Since the Kwid EV is an electrified version of the standard Kwid, it gets the same CMF-A platform. It is identical in its aesthetics and differs majorly only in its powertrain. The interior of the Kwid EV gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 4G connectivity and voice recognition. It also gets a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, EasyLink smart connect system, in-built air quality control system and other safety features such as high-temperature automatic cut-off to protect the battery.
The major USP of KWID EV is its affordability though it lacks anything disruptive like Tesla or luxury brands like Jaguar or Porsche. But not to sell it short, the car’s battery (like the Chinese City K-ZE) is enough for the drive under 250 Kms, which makes it one of the best buys for your money.
While we hope that this car will debut in India before 2022, the French carmaker has hinted that all depends on the development of EV infrastructure in India.
