Here's how global electric car makers are tweaking their models to make it viable for Indian roads

• India's infrastructure problems have continued to deter consumers from choosing electric cars over fossil fuel vehicles.
  
• So, the makers are trying to find a way to make the cars viable for their buyers.
  
• The UK-based carmaker Morris Garages, launched its new ZS EV in India with an increased ground clearance of 177mm, 9% more than its earlier variant.
  
• The amount of traffic the place you are driving will indeed affect the range as the battery is likely to drain faster. Triton will be placing solar panels on the roof that will generate power to help feed the battery.
  
• Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.

Sales of electric vehicles have grown in the past few years in the country. But, the numbers are still significantly lower compared to petrol and diesel cars' sales, because the user experience is marred by potholes, speed breakers and lack of charging infrastructure.

So, global companies like Morris Garages and Triton have tweaked their existing models⁠— from providing an additional charger at home to placing the battery a little higher⁠— to beat the Indian roads and their challenges.

Increased ground clearance

The UK-based carmaker Morris Garages, launched its new ZS EV in India on Monday with an increased ground clearance of 177mm, 9% more than its earlier variant. The battery, too, sits higher at 205mm off the ground.


While explaining the reason behind extra ground clearance, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer at MG Motor India told HT Auto, “now, looking at the demand from non-metro areas and the road conditions there we felt the need to increase ground clearance. The additional battery capacity and ground clearance add more safety. With the car suitable for much wider road conditions, we are expanding to 31 cities, where we will be selling, servicing, and supporting our EV customers.”

Partnering with charging stations and providing complimentary chargers at home

The charging infrastructure has been at a nascent stage in India, and it has been the biggest reason behind discouraging consumer interest. As of the latest data, India had 650 places where people could charge the EVs.

But the companies found a way to solve it too. A US-based carmaker Triton gearing up to enter India with its electric sedan this year told Business Insider that it is already in talks with local dealerships with their own charging stations even before the launch.


“And basically our goal is to not only have multiple dealership outlets, but also, have satellite dealership outlets so the satellite dealership outlets means that you have less infrastructure, but you have charging stations, you know information for the vehicle,” Himanshu Patel CEO, Triton said.

Even MG Motors India has partnered with Tata Power and Fortum to provide charging infrastructure to the buyers. The company said customers would benefit from 21 fast chargers and 1000 plus DC fast chargers. And, it is also installing a complementary charging unit at a customer's choice of place.

Traffic Jams will drain half of the battery

The amount of traffic the place you are driving will indeed affect the range as the battery is likely to drain faster in traffic jams. However, MG Motors decided to offer cars with a higher battery range than other countries to beat that. The upgraded version of ZS EV comes with a 44.5 kWh hi-tech battery pack with a certified range of 419 km in one full charge.

During the launch, Chaba said, the battery had been extensively tested under varying weather conditions. He is confident that it can offer a range between 300 to 400 kilometres, depending on driving habits and terrain, among other factors real-world conditions. The ZS compares to Tata Nexon EV — the most sold EV in Indian in 2020— which has a 30.2kWh lithium-ion battery with a claimed range of 312km.


And, Triton introduced India to EVs with solar roof-top so that the car generates electricity as it moves. “We’re building the car based on every component of India’s infrastructure,” said Patel, who believes that the solar panel atop Triton’s cars give it the edge over its potential competitors in India.

He further explained that the solar panel in their car could generate up to 1.3 kilowatts per hour, reducing the AC from 3 KW draw to 1.3 KW draw. “This offsets the losses of mileage or kilometers in India. By just doing this, we’re saving about close to 30% of the battery for being used during traffic times.”

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