Joining the fray
The Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh EV space will get two new players by mid-2025 in the form of Hyundai and Kia. The Korean automakers will join the likes of Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, MG, and possibly Honda, too, in creating a new fight area where they will face off against each other.
Hyundai
Hyundai make the first move with the Creta EV. It’s their most popular brand name on sale and will complete a decade next year. It was the Creta that sparked off the D-SUV competition opening the doors for a host of other players to jump and fight for space.
We have seen images of Creta EV test cars and now know that they will get the same exterior design as the recently updated ICE Creta. We expect the interior and feature list to be carried over unchanged from the ICE versions but with some EV-specific features. The range in this price segment is expected to be in the region of 500-600km with multiple fast charging options.
Kia
The Creta EV will be followed by the Carens EV in 2025. It will follow the same formula as the Creta EV in terms of overall design and features. It will also have a range of around 500-600km but will stand out from the crowd for being the first three-row EV on offer in the segment.
Pricing
Both cars will be priced from Rs. 22 lakh to Rs. 26 lakh and offered in multiple trim levels, based not just on range but also in terms of feature offerings.
EV support structure
Both automakers will expand the charging infrastructure at their dealerships. Moreover, in a bid to keep battery costs down, they have tied with Exide for the production and development of batteries in India. This deal with Exide is expected to also yield solutions for other developing markets where Hyundai and Kia plan to export cars from India.