Electric cars are now a global phenomenon and India is also part of this. Globally, Tesla, Mercedes Benz, Tata, Audi, Hyundai, Mahindra, Chevrolet, BMW are in the race of making the best electric car in the world. India has tried the electric vehicle options since 2000, but due to lack of power infrastructure for charging, high cost of the battery and its low life came in the path of success of electric vehicles.
But since 2016-17, the Govt. of India with many state Govts. launched several incentives and schemes to promote electric vehicles and since then, we have lakhs of E-rickshaws, hundreds of public transport electric buses and cars. And now it seems the future belongs to electric vehicles.
Also, due to having vehicle scrappage policy launched by Govt., there is a demand of new vehicles, be it commercial or private. So, why not electric vehicle?
Electric Car’s cost comparison of different brands in India:
Cost of electric cars are supposed to be on higher side in comparison to Petrol or Diesel cars in India. Electric Car’s cost comparison of different brands in India are below which are the approximate ex-showroom price across India.
Electric Car cost comparison of different brands in India – Below Rs. 20 lakh:
| Electric Cars Model Name | Electric Cars Model Price (Below Rs. 20 lakh) |
| Tata Tiago EV | Rs. 8.69 – 11.99 Lakh |
| Tata Tigor EV | Rs. 12.49 – 13.75 Lakh |
| Mahindra XUV400 EV | Rs 15.99 – 18.99 Lakh |
Electric Car cost comparison of different brands in India – Between Rs. 20 -30 lakh:
| Electric Cars Model Name | Electric Cars Model Price (Between Rs. 20 -30 lakh) |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | Rs 23.84 – 24.03 Lakh |
| MG ZS EV | Rs. 23.38 – 27.40 Lakh |
Electric Car cost comparison of different brands in India – above Rs. 30 lakh:
| Electric Cars Model Name | Electric Cars Model Price (above Rs. 30 lakh) |
| BYD Atto 3 | Rs 33.99 – 34.49 Lakh |
| Mini Cooper SE | Rs 52.50 Lakh |
| Kia EV6 | Rs. 60.95 – 65.95 Lakh |
| BMW iX | Rs. 1.21 Cr |
Electric Car’s Mileage comparison of different brands in India:
Mileage refers to the distance travelled in unit of fuel like petrol, diesel or gas etc. Like if a car runs 20 Kms in 1 litre of petrol, then the milege is 20 Km/L and for a car running on CNG, the milege is measured in Km/Kg like 32 Km/Kg of gas.
So, how to express the mileage in case of electric car? Electric cars run on battery. The capacity of battery is expressed in KWh like 20 KWh or 40 KWh battery. KWh is also called the ‘unit of electricity’. So, if the battery is charged fully 100%, then it can run for how many kilometers? Now suppose a 20 KWh battery operated car runs for 240 Km, then the electric car’s mileage will be 12 Km/KWh. So, if I have to cover the distance of 120 Km only, then the battery must be charged more than 50%.
Electricity cost in charging the battery of car?
Since the capacity of battery is expressed in KWh like 20 KWh or 40 KWh battery and KWh is also the ‘unit of electricity’. So, a battery of 20 KWh capacity will consume 20 units of electricity for it to be fully charged. Similarly. a battery of 40 KWh capacity will consume 40 units of electricity for it to be fully charged.
Now suppose you have electric car having 20 KWh battery in Delhi, where the domestic electricity consumption charge varies between Rs. 3 – 8. So, the cost of fully charged battery at home will be between Rs. 60 – 160 for 20 units of electricity. While, if you charge at the charging stations across Delhi, the electricity charging rate is Rs.3 (as incentive to electric car), so the the cost of fully charged battery will be only Rs. 60.
Running cost of electric car in comparison to petrol, diesel and CNG car?
| Running cost | Cost of Fuel (Varies across India) | Milege of Car (Varies across Brands) | Cost of Running per Km (Rs.) |
| Running cost of electric car (20 KWh battery-powered) | Rs. 6 per unit of Electricity | 12 Km/KWh | Rs. 0.50 per Km |
| Running cost of Petrol car | Rs. 100 per liter of Petrol | 20 Km/L | Rs. 5 per Km |
| Running cost of Diesel car | Rs. 100 per liter of Diesel | 25 Km/L | Rs. 4 per Km |
| Running cost of CNG car | Rs. 80 per Kg of CNG | 30 Km/Kg | Rs. 2.6 per Km |
From above calculation by taking assumption, this translates the cost of running an electric car is Rs. 0.50 per Km, having 20 KWh battery, the cost of running a petrol car is Rs. 5 per Km, the cost of running a diesel car is Rs. 4 per Km and the cost of running a CNG car is Rs. 2.6 per Km. This cost calculation is just illustrative and it will vary from state to state across India.
‘Savings in running cost’ of electric car in comparison to petrol, diesel and CNG car?
Here, we will compare the long-term ‘savings in running cost’ of electric car in comparison to petrol or diesel or CNG car, if we consider a fair use of 50 Km daily for 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 8 years. We are taking 8 years because presently, the battery warranty is of 8 years or of 160.000 Km distance for electric cars.
| Running cost | Cost of Running per Km (Rs.) | Running cost for 1-year | Running cost for 3-year | Running cost for 5-year | Running cost for 8-year |
| Running cost of electric car (20 KWh battery-powered) | Rs. 0.50 per Km | 9,125 | 27,375 | 45,625 | 73,000 |
| Running cost of Petrol car | Rs. 5 per Km | 91,250 | 273,750 | 456,250 | 730,000 |
| Running cost of Diesel car | Rs. 4 per Km | 73,000 | 219,000 | 365,000 | 584,000 |
| Running cost of CNG car | Rs. 2.6 per Km | 47,450 | 142,350 | 237,250 | 379,600 |
So, we can see clearly that in 8 years time frame, the difference between electric car and petrol car is about 10 times. The running cost of electric car is Rs. 73,000 in 8-year, the running cost of petrol car is Rs. 730,000, the running cost of diesel car is Rs. 584,000 and the running cost of CNG car is Rs. 379,600 in the same period.
So, the savings in running cost of electric car over petrol cars is approximately Rs. 657,000 in 8-year duration.
Replacement cost of Battery in electric car?
The battery is like similar to a larger version of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery found in our smartphone. But, instead of a single battery, electric vehicles employ a pack made up of thousands of discrete Li-ion cells that work together. The charging and discharging cycle of battery reduces the distance range and increases time required to charge between trips The warranty of battery in most of the electric cars is covered up to 8 years or 160,000 Km distance covered.
At present, the cost of a Lithium-Ion battery ranges from Rs. 15000-20000 per kWh in India. For example, the replacement cost of the Tata Nexon EV Battery Pack (31 kWh lithium-ion) will be about Rs 5.50 lakh to Rs 6.20 lakh in India. And, the replacement cost of MG ZS EV Battery Pack (44.5 kWh 394 V lithium-ion) will be about Rs 6.60 lakh to Rs 8.50 lakh in India.
| Battery Capacity | Battery cost |
| Tata Nexon EV Battery Pack (31 kWh lithium-ion) | Rs 5.50 lakh to Rs 6.20 lakh |
| MG ZS EV Battery Pack (44.5 kWh 394 V lithium-ion) | Rs 6.60 lakh to Rs 8.50 lakh |
So, this battery replacement cost is a big dampener for the buyer of electric car. Because it seems that the above savings in running cost of electric car versus petrol car (Rs. 657,000 over 8-years) will be consumed by the replacement cost of battery. So, ultimately there won’t be any advantage to the user of electric car. But, it is expected that the cost of a Lithium-Ion battery will drop to below Rs. 10,000 per KWh before 2030.
Charging time of electric vehicle, Connectors of Charging Electric Car:
Here again the charging time of battery of electric car can be compared to our smartphone. As some smartphone support fast charging with fast chargers and some does not. Similarly, not all the models of electric cars support fast charging. So, the charging time varies between approx. 1 hour to 10 hours depending on the condition and life of battery, support of fast charging, availability of fast chargers etc.
| Charger type of Electric car | Connectors of Charging Electric Car | Speed of Battery Charging | Time taken to full charge |
| Slow | Type 1: Standard 3-pin plug at home, 5-pin plug (3 kW); Type 2: 7-pin plug (3 kW) | 3 kW to 3.6 kW | About 8 to 12 hours |
| Fast | Type 1: 5-pin plug (22 kW); Type 2: 7-pin plug (22 kW) | 7 kW to 22 kW | About 3 to 6 hours |
| Rapid | Type 2: 7-pin plug (43 kW); 50 kW DC charger | 43 kW to 50 kW | About 30 to 60 minutes |
Merits and Demerits of Electric Cars:
Merits of Electric cars:
- Running cost of Electric car is cheaper than Petrol or Diesel or CNG car.
- Lower maintenance cost in comparison to Petrol or Diesel or CNG car.
- Air pollution is less than Petrol or Diesel or CNG car.
- Stronger performance than Petrol or Diesel or CNG car.
- Various types of discounts and incentives by Govt. schemes to electric cars.
Demerits of Electric cars:
- Higher buying cost of electric car.
- Lack of charging infrastructure of electric car.
- Usually longer charging time of battery of electric car.
- Limited drive range per single charge of battery.
- Fewer options by car brands.
Disclaimer: Kindly check the facts on official website of car makers before buying vehicle.