Tata Nexon EV 45 real-world driving range tested

• Claimed 489km range on a full charge
• Tested on default settings

Tata Motors launched a 45 version of the Nexon EV with a bigger battery and an enhanced driving range. The new version with a 45kWh battery pack is sold alongside the existing Nexon EV with a 40.5kWh battery. While the new Nexon EV 45 model also gets an array of new features, we are focusing on the real-world driving range, and here is how it all went.

Vehicle Stats

First and foremost, we were not aiming to extract the best figure, but testing for the actual range that one would get in usual driving conditions. We set out on our designated driving route that we use to test all our cars for fuel efficiency. The Nexon EV was on standard settings when the car was turned on. The AC was set between 23-24 degrees and the fan speed was either 2-3 or on auto throughout the test. The default drive mode was city, tyre air pressures at recommended figures, and brake energy regen setting at Level 1.

Claimed figures

While the new model's range on the modified ARAI test cycle is claimed to be 489km, the carmaker says its real-world range will be in the vicinity of 350-370km.

Real-world range test

We started the test with the charge at 100 per cent, the trip set to 0.00km, and drove the Nexon EV on our pre-defined route both around the city and on the highway. The first part of the run saw elevated battery consumption Wh/km which tapered down till the end of the test as seen in the table below. Well, when we charged to 100 per cent, it was off-putting to see a 284km driving range displayed on the instrument cluster. But it still managed to cover 329.7km averaging between 155 to 140 watt hours per km (Wh/km). So with a lower watt hour per km, it will do 350-370km as per Tata's C75 claimed range.

Notable Observations

We tested the Nexon EV and drove it on our testing cycle route, while following the same regime till the car went down to 0 per cent and came to a halt. It just loses the drive mode while the instrument cluster, infotainment screen, fan, and all stay on. So in case that happens, you can still put the car in neutral for it to be towed away. Moreover, the limp mode kicks in at 10 per cent when power delivery is reduced, with speed limited to 50-60kmph, while the AC stops working at around 7 per cent. The highest external temperature recorded in the entire range test was 37 degrees and the lowest was 32 degrees in the evening.

Overall, with 329.7km at an average battery consumption of 146kWh/km, the car achieved 67.42 per cent of claimed range (489km) and 94.2 to 89 per cent of the C75 (350~370km). With a lower battery consumption, the range will increase. Lastly, when put back on charge, the car's instrument cluster displayed 7 hours 30 minutes for a full charge on our office charger that charges at 7.2kW.