The All-Electric Cupra Born Hatchback: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The All-Electric Cupra Born Hatchback

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SEAT CUPRA, S.A.U, simply known as CUPRA, is the high performance motorsport subsidiary of SEAT. SEAT S.A. is Spain’s first family car manufacturer. The automotive company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Martorell, Spain.

In 1986, SEAT was sold to the German automotive group, Volkswagen A.G. Cupra was previously known as SEAT Sport. The Cupra brand was created in 2018. Cupra has the following portfolio of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

• Formentor e-HYBRID
• Leon e-HYBRID
• Leon Estate e-HYBRID
• The all-electric Cupra Born

The all-electric Cupra Born hatchback is the first pure electric car from the SEAT high performance brand. The EV is manufactured on the Volkswagen MEB platform, which is also used by the all-electric VW ID.3. The Cupra electric car is a sportier version of the VW ID.3 hatchback.

The Cupra electric vehicle (EV) is available in two EV battery size options: 58 kWh and 77 kWh. The 58 kWh EV battery has an emission-free range up to 416 km (WLTP), while the 77 kWh EV battery has a range up to 547 km (WLTP).

The real-world electric range will depend on a number of factors, to include: driving style, road conditions, speed, tyre size, passenger load, weather, etc. For the 58 kWh EV battery, expect a real-world pure electric range closer to 350 km, while for the 77 kWh battery, 465 km will be more realistic. Nevertheless, the Cupra electric hatchback has a good and useful range on a single charge!

Do keep in mind that driving an electric car is much cheaper per mile, compared to a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. We at e-zoomed recommend charging an electric car, overnight at home, when the electricity prices are cheaper.

The EV is capable up to 135 kW DC charging, and the 77 kWh battery can be charged in 36 minutes(5%-80% SOC). The 58 kWh EV battery can be charged in 35 mins (120 kW DC). The electric car has an 11 kW onboard charger as standard, which is certainly an advantage for those charging destinations with 3-phase power supply (home and workplace).

The 58 kWh EV battery can be fully charged in 6 hours and 15 minutes using a three-phase EV charger. The 77 kWh will take up to 7 hours 30 minutes. The V1 is available only in the 58 kWh, while the V2 and V3 variants are available in both the 58 kWh and 77 kWh EV battery options.

But for most homes in India, powered by a single-phase supply, using a dedicated home EV charger, like myenergi Zappi, expect the EV to be fully charged in under 10 hours for the 55 kWh battery and in under 12 hours for the 77 kWh battery. We at e-zoomed recommend a topping up approach to charging an electric car. This way to fully charge the EV will take shorter time and regular charging is good for the long-term maintenance of the EV battery.

The Cupra EV is packed with technology, to include: rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, high beam assist, heat pump (improves range), intelligent park assist, travel assist, augmented reality head-up display, top view camera, pre-crash assist, exit warning and Cupra Connect Services. In terms of practicality, the EV is reasonable and offers up to 385 L boot space. As for the exterior body styling, there is no arguing that the sportier look is more appealing, compared to a traditional family hatchback!

All Cupra Born variants are available as only rear-wheel drive. For the entry-level Cupra Born V1 58 kWh, the pure electric hatchback can achieve 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. The EV delivers a maximum power up to 204 ps and 310 Nm torque. The top speed is 160 km/h. The performance of the top of the range is even sportier.

The Cupra electric car is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
11 kW onboard charger as standard	Four-wheel drive not available
DC charging up to 135 kW	Rear seats have limited space
Good EV range (340 miles)	Cheaper pure electric hatchback alternatives

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The All-Electric Cupra Born Hatchback (credit: Cupra)

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One of the key advantages of driving an electric vehicle (EV), is that, it is cheaper to drive, compared to conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), petrol and diesel vehicles. For many years, we have witnessed a significant increase in prices at petrol pumps across India. However, this is not an ‘India’ only trend, but a global trend. We can continue to expect an inflation in global petrol and diesel prices for the foreseeable future.

Both, a pure electric car and a plug-in hybrid electric car, offer significant savings on driving costs per mile, when driven on zero-tailpipe emission electric mode. In India, filling a petrol or diesel car can cost anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. As an example, the very popular Audi Q7 diesel SUV has a fuel capacity of 85 litres. Assuming an average cost per litre of Rs 90, the cost of filling a full tank will be up to Rs 7,650!

In comparison, the all-electric Audi e-tron SUV , which is now available in India, and a similar size to the Audi Q7, can be fully recharged for less than Rs 1,000. Put another way, charging the Audi electric SUV, can save up to 85% compared to filling a full tank of fuel (in India, the average cost for residential electricity is between Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kWh).

At an average one can expect a cost per km of Rs 1 for a zero-emission EV, while for an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle, the cost per km could be up to Rs 7 per km. The annual cost savings achieved by switching to electric driving is significant! The sooner you switch to green cars, the sooner you can start saving money. That is simply the bottom-line!

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Vehicle Type:	Hatchback
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (7 Options)
CUPRA Born V1 58 kWh
CUPRA Born V2 58 kWh
CUPRA Born V3 58 kWh
CUPRA Born V2 58 kWh
CUPRA Born V2 77 kWh
CUPRA Born V3 58 kWh
CUPRA Born V3 77 kWh

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in two battery sizes: 58 kWh/ 77 kWh
Charging:	Up to 135 kW DC rapid charging. Onboard charger: 11 kW AC
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Cupra Born V1 (58 kWh)
EV Battery Capacity:	58 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	416 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	15.5 – 18.0
Charging:	120 kW DC rapid charging (5%-80% SOC: 35 mins). Onboard charger 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 6 hrs 15 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.3 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Max Power (PS):	204
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	2,240
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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Cupra Born V2 (77 kWh)
EV Battery Capacity:	77 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	547 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	15.8 – 17.6
Charging:	135 kW DC rapid charging (5%-80% SOC: 36 mins). Onboard charger 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.0 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Max Power (PS):	231
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	4
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,946 – 2,036
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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Cupra Born V3 (77 kWh)
EV Battery Capacity:	77 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	547 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	15.8 – 17.6
Charging:	135 kW DC rapid charging (5%-80% SOC: 36 mins). Onboard charger 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.0 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Max Power (PS):	231
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	4
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,946 – 2,036
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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History Of Electric Cars: Quick Facts

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• An electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is not a new invention or even an invention of modern times. Indeed, EVs were first developed more than a 100 years ago in the 19^th century. Put another way, Mahatma Gandhi was yet to be born, when inventors from various countries, to include European countries and the United States were already investing electric motors and batteries.  

• The first practical electric cars were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the first US electric car introduced in 1890. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had just turned 21! 

• Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation. Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages. In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage. Instead the avenue  was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention. It was the beginning of man’s love affair with cars that has lasted more than a century and still going strong. 

• However, the uptake of electric vehicles in the early 20^th century was short-lived, as gasoline powered vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines (ICE) become the preferred mode of transportation.  

• Bottom-line, manufactures chose internal combustion engines over electric cars in the early 1900s for various reasons, to include, the costs and production volumes.  

• It is not definitive as to where EVs were invented or to credit a single inventor. However, one known electric motor (small-scale) was created in 1828 by Anyos Jedlik, a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist and Benedictine priest. Hungarians and Slovaks still consider him to be the unsung hero of the electric motor.  

• Shortly after, between 1832 and 1839, a Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created a large electric motor to drive a carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary power cells. Through the 19^th century a number of inventors were inspired to develop electric motors to include, Thomas Davenport, an American from Vermont credited with building the first DC electric motor in America (1834). Unlike many of his contemporaries and other trying to build electric motors, Davenport did not have a background in either engineering or physics.  In fact, he was a blacksmith. 

• Move forward a few decades and at the end of the 19^th century, William Morrison created what is believed to be the first practical electric vehicle. Morrison, another American from Des Moines, Iowa, was a chemist who became interested in electricity. He build the first electric vehicle in 1887 in a carriage built by the Des Moines Buggy Co.  His first attempt was not a great success. In 1890, he attempted again, with more success. 12 EVs were built using a carriage built by the Shaver Carriage Company.

• The batteries were designed and developed by William Morrison. The vehicle had 24 batteries with an output of 112 amperes at 58 volts that took 10 hours to recharge. Available horsepower just under 4 horsepower. The vehicle could accommodate 6 individuals and had a top speed of 14 mph (22.50 km/h).

• Morrison’s success led to others also developing large-scale practical electric cars.  At the turn of the century cities like New York had 60 electric taxis. The first decade witnessed strong popularity for electric vehicles. However the popularity was short-lived as internal combustion engine (ICE) gasoline powered vehicles replaced the early electric vehicles. Henry Ford’s success with the then ubiquitous Ford Model T was the ‘beginning of the end’ for electric vehicles. The Model T was cheaper than the prevailing electric cars (US$ 650 Vs US$ 1,750) and could be manufactured at scale. As they say — the rest is history.  

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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