Top 10 electric vehicles we tested in 2022
We drove and tested a lot of EVs in 2022. Some of them ultra-premium, ultra-quick and some rather affordable and quite nice. The future is clearly zero emissions and noise-free when it comes to automobiles and electric vehicles are the catalysts. Here we are counting down on our top ten EVs that we have tested last year.
It’s a relatively sane, more sensible version of the Mercedes EQS 53 AMG that came before it. In fact, the EQS 580 is the first-ever locally-assembled EV from Mercedes-Benz India, one that gives us an idea of what’s in store for the brand’s future here. There are many strong reasons to buy the EQS 580 over petrol or a diesel-powered luxury sedan. Firstly, if you are looking to join the EV revolution with something high-end and capable then your options here in India are severely limited. There’s the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT, both of which are considerably more expensive than the EQS 580. Secondly, and more importantly, the EQS 580 is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It’s a luxury barge that’s fit for daily duties but give it enough room and I am sure it will not hesitate to annihilate the best of ICE sports cars out there.
The Mercedes-Benz EQB is one of the most practical electric vehicles in India right now. It has seven seats, a claimed range of over 400km, classy interiors, and at nearly 4,700mm long, it’s the right size – not too compact, nor excessively large. The EQB, then, seems like the ideal SUV for a large nuclear family looking to transition into EVs. The 66.5kWh battery on the EQB is good for a claimed WLTP range of 423km, which means a real-world range of anywhere between 340km and 370km can be expected. The all-electric EQB, then, makes for a sensible choice for someone who has kids and is primarily looking for a premium urban runabout.
BYD’s second passenger offering for India is also an EV but unlike the E6 which mainly caters to the fleet market, the all-new Atto 3 is a quirky premium crossover that’s all about luxury, performance and driving range. At Rs 33.99 lakh ex-showroom, the BYD Atto 3 may come across as an expensive option but its also the one with the most claimed range, performance and a different battery technology which is claimed to be much safer and more efficient than what’s out there. The best part is that it’s claimed range of around 500kms is equal to a lot of petrol powered SUVs, making it a viable option for urban use.
Our journey with the Tata Nexon EV began when we had the chance to drive it for the first time in January 2020 and then extensively road test it in 2021. When the Nexon EV Max was introduced last year we all were left impressed all the more, simply because of its higher range and peppier performance. In terms of look and feel, the Nexon EV Max feels no different from the regular car, after all it is the same vehicle just with a bigger battery and range. Where the gloves came off and the Max showed its true colors was in the driving experience. It did the 0-100kmph sprint in 8.29 seconds as compared to 9.19 seconds of the standard car indicating a boost in performance. Despite the additional weight, the Nexon EV has lost none of its addictive performance that we liked so much in the standard car. Best of all, we put it through the range test and discovered that it covered nearly 310kms on a single charge which isn’t bad at all for a mass-market EV.
After the success of the Nexon EV, expectations from the Tigor EV were quite high for a more affordable EV from Tata and honestly, it did not disappoint. It did everything that regular Tigor did but with an electric heart that gave a decent range of just around 224km. The ARAI specified range is 304km and this is a pretty decent number compared to the certified figure. What we found odd is that the essence of the Tata Tigor which is its style back boot has been almost completely usurped by the spare wheel and charging cable. Thankfully the Tigor EV runs on tubeless tires and that means you (in the larger scheme of things) ditch the spare wheel and reclaim some of that space.
The XC40 Recharge is Volvo’s first-ever pure-electric offering in India. Internationally, it comes in two versions — a single-motor 230bhp front-wheel-drive and a 400bhp dual-motor all-wheel-drive, but the India-spec model is the latter one, which holds back nothing and offers remarkable straight-line performance. More importantly, it has a WLTP certified range of 418km which should be sufficient enough for urban as well as occasional highway usage. Now there are no fancy drive modes in the XC40 Recharge, nor is there a control for adjusting the braking recuperation. But what you do get is the ‘one pedal’ system, which is seen on many modern-day EVs. The XC40 Recharge is a good alternative to the Mercedes EQB, the Kia EV6GT or the BMW i4.
Kia EV6 GT
The Kia EV6 looks fantastic, in fact it looks like nothing else on the road and so it will turn quite a bit of heads. It’s got excellent interiors although a touch too plasticky, a long list of equipment that includes augmented reality HUD and suede seats with vegan leather. The electric motor puts out an impressive 320bhp and 605Nm of torque which rockets the EV6 from zero to 100kmph in just 5.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 192kmph. Now that’s sports car performance. And then we come to the range, the EV6 has an ARAI figures range of 708kms but even if it manages anything between 400 and 450km, it will be an excellent figure and that will make even long round trips possible. Fast, economic and beautiful, the EV6 has something for everyone.
One of the forerunners of the EV revolution in India, the updated ZS EV has done its homework and it improves on everything the older, pre-facelift version came short of. The equivalent of 173bhp is now put down by the motors – up from 143bhp before. But in the process and surprisingly so, the torque figures have come down – 280Nm compared to 350Nm previously. So there’s more power available to the right foot. It has lesser bugs and glitches, more modern features, and improved ergonomics. Not to mention, the ZS EV now looks more handsome, feels premium and is highly practical too. It's even more powerful than before yet offers a better range, bundled with active safety hardware. Everything that you can ask for in your sensible EV purchase.
BMW i4
We like the fact that electric BMWs are still so emotive. Be it the Mini or the monstrous iX, or the i4 for that matter, these electrics remain lovely to drive. Yes, they don’t sound gorgeous, but in terms of dynamics and driver connect, these are right up there. Now, while the iX is inexplicably fast, and the Mini is just pure fun given its torque-to-size ratio, the i4 to us is a good blend of luxury and performance and everyday usability. Not to mention, it’s priced quite well for a CBU. The i4 might not feel as special or unique as the iX courtesy bits and pieces inside the cabin that remind one of the regular 3 Series; a hangover of a modified ICE platform if you will. But, the fact that it’s more regular enhances the usability factor we had mentioned. You can seat four comfortably; there’s enough space in the boot; one doesn’t have to re-engineer one’s thought process just to get the car started. Then of course there’s the balance it strikes between delivering an extended range with engaging performance that seals the deal in our book.
The fact that the Audi e-tron Sportback is quicker than most SUVs and yet it feels and drives like a conventional luxury vehicle is probably the most impressive thing about it. We prefer the Sportback version over the standard e-tron because firstly, it costs just two lakh rupees more and looks a millions bucks better. It has a theoretical range of over 400km on a full charge. Of course that depends on several factors such as driving style and traffic conditions. In our range test which included driving the car under varied traffic conditions across Navi Mumbai and on the Mumbai Pune expressway, we were able to cover 370km with the battery percentage coming down to 7 per cent from a full charge. So it is possible to comfortably achieve 380km of range on a full charge and that’s not bad at all.
Pictures by Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi
