Are you thinking about buying your first electric car in India? If yes, you should learn about the various factors you should check and compare before buying your first electric vehicle. Check this guide on choosing your first electric car in India.
The transportation sector in India is witnessing a paradigm shift towards sustainability and eco-friendliness. With the Indian government committed to achieving the CO2 emissions target according to the 2015 Paris Agreement, they have started promoting, subsidising, and incentivising electric vehicles among consumers and manufacturers. These direct facilitatory measures have helped the sales of EVs to increase in India. In 2023, the total EV sales jumped by 50%. Experts believe that the penetration of electric vehicles out of the total sales of vehicles in India will increase by almost 5 times to 30% by 2030.
If you haven’t already bought your first electric car in India, you should buy your EV in 2024. But what are the factors you should consider while buying your first EV? Let’s explore now.
How to Choose Your First Electric Car in India?
While choosing your first electric car in India, you should keep these 6 factors in mind.
Range per Charge
Whether you are looking for a daily commute or weekend driving an electric car, the first thing you should check is the mileage per charging.
- The affordable electric cars in the Rs. 7-14 lakh range (such as MG Comet EV and Tata Tiago EV), usually provide around 250-300 km per charging.
- The EVs in the Rs. 15-20 lakh range (such as Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra X400) can provide you 400-450 km per charging.
- Luxury EVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 can provide you with an 857 km range per charge (ARAI-certified).
Also Read: Best Affordable Electric Cars In India 2024
Battery Capacity
The electric cars in India come with a minimum battery pack of 26 kWh (Tata Tigor EV). The other battery capacities available in India are 29.2 kWh (Citroen eC3), 30.2 kWh, 39.40 kWh, 40.50 kWh, 39.20 kWh, 107.8 kWh (Mercedes-Benz EQS 580), and more.
Battery Life
EV batteries are expensive. So, the longer they run, the better. So, always try to choose an electric car that comes with long-life batteries. One of the leading EV manufacturers in the world is Nissan. Its battery lasts for eight years or more. It can provide you with a 1,00,000-mile lifetime run.
Charging Facility
Currently, one of the major concerns of most EV buyers is the lack of electric charging stations in their localities. The total number of public EV charging stations across India is just 5,254. The Indian government expects the number to increase to 10,000 by 2025. Before, buying your first electric car in India, you should check the nearest public EV charging stations to your residence or office.
Also Read: Charging Infrastructure For Electric Vehicles In India – Know Now!
Safety Features
Does your new electric car provide adequate safety features? Some of the features you should check are airbags, 360-degree panoramic rearview camera, flame retardant coatings, emergency shut-off switches, cooling systems, battery casing, advanced multi-layer insulation, collision avoidance systems, etc.
Tax Benefits
According to the incentives given by the union government for EV promotion is up to Rs. 1,50,000 deduction in interest payment on auto loans for buying electric cars. You can avail of it under the Income Tax Act’s Section 80EEB. Check more about it before buying your first electric car in India.
#India has opened the gate inviting global #EVmanufacturers to set up facilities in the country as the Centre aims to become global hub for electric cars in near future.
Here is a quick look at the EV makers expected to join this lineup soon.
https://twitter.com/HTAutotweets/status/1769914189211177339
Final Words
2024 is the best year to buy your first electric car in India if you haven’t made the purchase yet. The government is still offering subsidies, incentives, and tax relief to promote EVs. As EV sales have started to grow by leaps and bounds, the automotive industry is not sure how long the government will continue these sops. What are you waiting for? Buy your first electric car in India in 2024. However, before buying, check the 6 aforementioned factors.