Electric Cars: The Basics
For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:
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The MG HS PHEV SUV
MG Motor UK Limited (MG Motor), is a UK headquartered British automotive manufacturer, now owned by the Chinese automotive company, SAIC Motor. SAIC is owned by the Chinese government and headquartered in Shanghai. MG was owned by MG Rover up to 2005, before the collapse of the company. Despite the change in ownership, MG cars continue to be manufactured at the historic Longbridge plant in the UK.
The automotive company currently has the following battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on sale:
The MG HS compact SUV is manufactured by the Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC Motor under the MG marque. The MG HS was launched in 2018 and is a best-selling SUV in China. The MG HS PHEV is the third model with an electrified powertrain from MG, and its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. PHEVs are appropriate for individuals and families:
- Keen to take a step towards lower emission and environment-friendly driving.
- Need a vehicle for extensive and regular long-distance travelling.
- Have limited access to private or public EV charging stations.
- Do a number of short commutes (30 miles and below) on a regular basis.
- Keen to save money.
The MG PHEV has a 16.6 kWh EV battery with a WLTP zero-emission electric range of up to 32 miles. Depending on driving style, weather condition and the services used in the EV, expect a real world range closer to 27 miles. However, that would be more than sufficient for most daily commutes using the EV battery i.e. driving emission-free and also saving money (the running cost per mile of an EV is far lower than a petrol or diesel car). Bottom-line driving on electric miles is both cost efficient and eco-friendly!
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
An affordable PHEV (value for money) | Average driving performance |
Practical and ample space for families and luggage | Interior quality has room for improvement |
Cheap to drive on electric mode | Alternatives have lower tailpipe emissions |
The MG HS PHEV SUV (credit: MG)
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!
At A Glance | |
---|---|
EV Type: | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) |
Vehicle Type: | SUV |
Engine: | Petrol-Electric |
Available In India: | No |
Variants (2 Options) |
---|
Excite |
Exclusive |
EV Battery & Emissions | |
---|---|
EV Battery Type: | Lithium-ion |
EV Battery Capacity: | Available in one battery size: 16.6 kWh |
Charging: | On-board charger 7 kW AC |
Charge Port: | Type 2 |
EV Cable Type: | Type 2 |
Tailpipe Emissions: | 43g (CO2/km) |
Warranty: | 7 years or 80,000 miles |
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
Dimensions | |
---|---|
Height (mm): | 1664 |
Width (mm): | 2078 |
Length (mm): | 4574 |
Wheelbase (mm): | 2720 |
Turning Circle (m): | 11.1 |
Boot capacity (L): | 448 |
MG HS 1.5T-GDI Plug-In Hybrid | |
---|---|
EV Battery Capacity: | 16.6 kWh |
Pure Electric Range (WLTP): | 32 miles |
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km): | 24.0 |
Fuel Consumption (MPG): | 155.8 |
Charging: | On-board charger 7 kW AC |
Top Speed: | 118 mph (electric: 81 mph) |
0-62 mph: | 6.9 seconds |
Drive: | Front-wheel drive (FWD) |
Electric Motor (kW): | 90 |
Max Power (PS): | 258 |
Torque (Nm): | 273 |
Transmission: | Automatic |
Seats: | 5 |
Doors: | 5 |
Kerb Weight (kg): | 1,737 – 1775 |
Colours: | 6 |
Pure Electric Cars Available In India
For most of us in India, recognising an electric car on our roads will be a challenge. Compared to the more matured EV markets, like China and Europe, the availability of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in India is still limited. Having said that, the leading automotive manufacturers in India, like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra, have demonstrated leadership in the development and introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, to include, the Tata Nexon EV and the Mahindra eVerito. Tata announced recently it had increased its sale of EVs in India by a whopping 353% in FY22 compared to FY21. Tata sold 19,106 EVs in FY22.
India currently has up to 20 pure electric cars on sale, ranging from Rs 11.99 to Rs 2.05 Crore. Leading international automotive brands like Audi AG, BMW AG, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Mercedes-Benz, MG Motors, Porsche AG & the Volvo Group have introduced plug-in pure electric cars in India. We can expect many more international automotive companies to follow suit, to include, the famed EV manufacturer, Tesla Inc. In fact, Elon Musk has already made public his intentions to sell Tesla electric cars in India.
For the successful development of the electric driving market, the deployment of widespread EV charging infrastructure is a prerequisite, to include, charging at home and public EV charging stations. In India, electric car charging infrastructure is still at very nascent stages. The total number of public charge points in India are currently a mere 1,742. EV chargers installed at homes is also at a nascent stage.
Lastly, the introduction of cheaper electric cars with longer ranges is vital in building confidence with potential buyers to migrate to zero-tailpipe emission electric cars. EVs at a price point below Rs 20 Lakhs will be key in spurring growth in the Indian EV market. Below is a list of BEVs currently available in India.
EV | Type Of EV | Price |
---|---|---|
Audi e-tron | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.00 Crore |
Audi RS e-tron GT | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 2.05 Crore |
Audi e-tron Sportback | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.19 Crore |
Audi e-tron GT | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.8 Crore |
BMW iX Electric SAV | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.16 Crore |
Hyundai Kona Electric | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 23.79 Lakhs |
Jaguar I-PACE | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.05 Crore |
Mercedes-Benz EQC | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 1.06 Crore |
MG ZS EV | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 21.49 Lakhs |
Porsche Taycan | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs. 1.5 Crore |
Porsche Cayenne E | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) | Rs 1.58 Crore |
Tata Tigor EV | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 11.99 Lakhs |
Tata Nexon | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) | Rs 14.24 Lakhs |
Volvo XC90 | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) | Rs 95 Lakhs |