- Entry-level price starts at Rs. 9.99 lakh
- Rs. 3.5/km to be paid for battery rental
With prices starting from Rs. 9.99 lakh for a 4.3-metre long SUV, that too all-electric, the Windsor EV has been in the news since its launch. However, there’s a catch to that tempting price tag, which needs a proper explanation. In this article, we have compiled all that you should know about its pricing before purchasing the new MG Windsor EV.
The Windsor EV is an all-electric CUV powered by a single 38kWh battery pack with 331km of driving range. It is offered in three variants, namely, Excite, Exclusive, and Essence.
How much do you really pay?
Taking the base variant into consideration, the MG Windsor EV costs Rs. 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Then, there’s the BAAS (Battery As A Service) program. Under this program, after bringing the Windsor EV home, one has to pay an additional amount in the form of a minimum charge every month.
Assume that you are buying a smartphone with the battery being sold separately to keep the initial purchase cost down and make it accessible to a wider customer base. This is exactly how the BAAS works.
If your base usage is 1,500km per month, you will be paying Rs. 5,250/month to use the battery of the Windsor EV, making the annual battery rental expense Rs. 63,000. If you use the EV for more than 1,500km a month, you pay more, with charges starting from Rs. 3.5 for every kilometre extra. Notably, if your usage is for less than 1,500km, you will still have to pay Rs. 5,250 per month. Some finance providers will have no minimum cap on the kilometres, allowing customers to pay the battery rent only if they use the EV.
Note that this does not involve other charges such as maintenance and charging. However, customers who book the EV before 31 December will get one year of free charging.
| Minimum chargeable distance | 1,500km |
| Charges | Rs. 3.5/km |
| Monthly battery rental cost | Rs. 5,250 |
| Yearly battery rental cost | Rs. 63,000 |
However, customers will get an option to pay the full amount for the car and the battery instead of an EMI plan. The entire cost will be revealed during the price revelation of all the variants. It is safe to assume that with the inclusion of the battery cost, the base variant of the Windsor EV could retail at a total cost of Rs. 14 lakh (approximately).
How do you pay for the battery rental?
Currently, there are a handful of finance providers, including Bajaj Finance Limited and Hero FinCorp, who have partnered with MG to provide the BAAS facility. Notably, the financing options include EMI plans with different terms and interest rates depending on the finance provider. Also, there will be an option to foreclose or exit the BAAS program before the completion of the tenure.
What if you want to sell the MG Windsor EV?
In this scenario, the battery rental will end and you will have to pay the outstanding amount, including the cost of the EV and the battery. The second owner will buy the Windsor EV as a whole or a normal car without having to pay any charges to the automaker for owning the EV.
How will MG determine the distance driven?
Apparently, a telematics device will be installed on the vehicle by the finance service provider, which will then give access to the real-time kilometre data to the financer to keep track of the kilometres and monthly rental payments.
Is the warranty transferable to the second owner?
The MG Windsor EV has a lifetime warranty on the battery and three years warranty on the car. Meanwhile, the second owner will not have a lifetime warranty and instead get an eight years or 1,60,000km warranty as standard.
