[arjab]

Originally Posted by avishar

Plus, you don't need to replace engine oil, air filters, oil filters etc. However, I think electric cars do need some sort of coolant though (?).

Yes. Thermal management of the battery pack is a very important, if not the most important component, when putting together an EV battery pack. EV's with battery packs of high energy density generate a lot of heat and if not managed properly can give rise to a phenomenon called "thermal runaway" which can eventually lead to the collapse of the entire battery pack.

Usually the cooling system is integrated into the battery pack. The cooling agent can be a water-glycol mix or any other gaseous refrigerant which the OEM wishes to use.
In a vehicle equipped with HVAC, a tap is taken from the vehicle's HVAC system to circulate the refrigerant wthin the cooling pipes integrated inside the battery pack. If a vehicle does not have an HVAC, and if space permits, a separate compressor/condenser/evaporator is bolted onto the pack to keep temperatures in check.

For low powered EV's with smaller batteries, the packs are usually air cooled.

[pugram]

That a concise and neat review of the Nexon EV.

I read that you need to depress the brakes before changing the driving modes. Can't you do it on the fly ? From D to S or converse.

Slowly EV prices are becoming lower. Hopefully the average ICE car buyer is presented with a lot of options in the future.

[Amsdoc]

Lovely review! Electric cars are the future but they are not there yet. But this comes as close as anyone has till now. I think it will take around 60-70k km to make up for the price difference purely on initial cost and fuel rate difference (I considered a nexon petrol amt for reference). Purely in city driving will take some time to do 60 k kms. Assuming 30km per day it will take around 5 1/2 yrs. Of course with rising petrol costs that will come closer and I haven't taken servicing costs etc into account.

[SkodaFan0]

Originally Posted by arjab

Yes. Thermal management of the battery pack is a very important, if not the most important component, when putting together an EV battery pack. EV's with battery packs of high energy density generate a lot of heat and if not managed properly can give rise to a phenomenon called "thermal runaway" which can eventually lead to the collapse of the entire battery pack.

Usually the cooling system is integrated into the battery pack. The cooling agent can be a water-glycol mix or any other gaseous refrigerant which the OEM wishes to use.
In a vehicle equipped with HVAC, a tap is taken from the vehicle's HVAC system to circulate the refrigerant wthin the cooling pipes integrated inside the battery pack. If a vehicle does not have an HVAC, and if space permits, a separate compressor/condenser/evaporator is bolted onto the pack to keep temperatures in check.

For low powered EV's with smaller batteries, the packs are usually air cooled.

This will be really interesting to see. The heat management on a EV will be a good HazOp case study. Usually, there must be an additional layer of protection just in case the HVAC system of the car fails. Lots of what-if scenarios considered like refrigerant leak, compressor failure, all leading to HVAC system failure, cascading into thermal runaway. At the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, all I can utter is "Cool!"

[kiransri_bng]

Originally Posted by Samba

Pros-


Cons-

1) The real world range is around 250 km in 'D' mode but if driven spiritedly in 'S' mode it drastically comes down to below 190 km. Will drop even further if driven aggressively.

Very Nice and Detailed Review. Does this Driving Range mentioned are with AC?

[SVK Rider]

Awesome.
Really very nicely written and lots of information. Yet to TD this one. However if I am unable to understand the position of this car.
If I am buying an EV for city only the smaller cars makes more sense. But for the highways the range seems to be really low. Not sure about the VFM/reliability factor yet, as it needs to be tested in real world to know the same. Just my opinion, might be wrong in that.

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by SkodaFan0

This will be really interesting to see. The heat management on a EV will be a good HazOp case study. Usually, there must be an additional layer of protection just in case the HVAC system of the car fails. Lots of what-if scenarios considered like refrigerant leak, compressor failure, all leading to HVAC system failure, cascading into thermal runaway. At the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, all I can utter is "Cool!"

If the BMS detects any issue in the battery pack it will surely throw couple of errors, limits power and warns the driver to stop the car. It does not go like battery runaway and big loud sound.

For those who still think EV batteries are unsafe please check the video below, the whole car burnt and the battery did not give up. Maybe all companies did not reach Tesla level yet but still are safer than ICE cars.

https://youtu.be/J4r7GAFRzgA

[SkodaFan0]

Originally Posted by SKC-auto

If the BMS detects any issue in the battery pack it will surely throw couple of errors, limits power and warns the driver to stop the car. It does not go like battery runaway and big loud sound.

For those who still think EV batteries are unsafe please check the video below, the whole car burnt and the battery did not give up. Maybe all companies did not reach Tesla level yet but still are safer than ICE cars.

For sure. I guess in-car tech has come a long way since the Reva era. I meant that the kinda thought process that would have gone into understanding the real world scenarios, what-ifs and the answers and solutions to them would make for a fascinating case study. It would probably be the 21st century equivalent of the wonderful narrations of how Mahindra evolved the Jeeps by our very beloved Late Sh. Behram Dhabar.

[Kosfactor]

The price point and looks make it the most important Electric car of our times so far- there appears to be no real compromises in this. It can very well be the only car needed for most house holds.

I think a move to 100% localized production would dip the costs much further and give a real competition to ICE cars finally.

[123.rishabh]

Originally Posted by charanreddy

Also there are specific use cases for a few businessmen who may be required to commute 150 kms in a day where this car will pay for the investment difference in fuel saved in a short time frame.

I just suggested a similar thing to a friend to purchase a Nexon EV who has a daily running of around 120 Kms and currently uses a 3 year old Brezza diesel.
Diesel resale is dropping day by day specially in Delhi so currently he can get a decent amount and use it as a downpayment for the Nexon EV.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by 1100D

As far as I still see, VW's 1000cc engine makes it at the same time, at 1/3rd less cost!!

I seriously don't see what your contention is.

EV's are rare and are more expensive. But factor in running and maintenance costs and these might still square up.

Originally Posted by avishar

Yes, but you are not taking into lifetime costs (fuel + maintenance).


If Maruti comes out with an affordable WagonR EV (Rs 6-8 lakhs), I think EV cars will take off fast in India.

I honestly wish someother OEM, say someone like Ather ( completely new) or Tesla when they launched EV's takes this place.

Am really at a loss to understand though what M&M did with their solid lead as they purchased Reva, the first and only EV vehicle for like a decade.

[car_da_mum]

Nice review, and that too during pandemic. Thanks, Samba.

Plus, you don't need to replace engine oil, air filters, oil filters etc. However, I think electric cars do need some sort of coolant though (?).

If you consider the long-time maintenance required for electric cars, replacement of the battery stack after a certain number of cycles is probably the most significant maintenance cost. The cost of charging the battery in daily/regular use and whatever servicing the cooling system or other mechanical parts might require pale into insignificance when compared with the cost of replacing the battery stack.

[jasjotbains]

Tata has a big opportunity to score with the Nexon EV in the below 15L territory. Hope they can recreate the same magic they did with Nexon ICE, since their nearest competitor is a cool 10 lacs away!

I'm waiting for Nexon EV to be proven as a reliable workhorse. Hopefully Tata comes out with Altroz EV with similar driving range and features at sub 10L prices. It will be a good replacement for my ageing i10 and a great gift for my parents.

[car_da_mum]

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

Tata has a big opportunity to score with the Nexon EV in the below 15L territory.

The biggest technological challenge in making EVs is the procurement of the battery. Unlike Tesla and others, the Tatas have it all in the family -- Tata Chemicals is making the batteries. Don't see why the Tata Motors can't score well with the Nexon EV and other EVs they might be planning.

[Anduril]

Thanks Samba for the review.
The present version with approx. 250 km range is more suited as an urban runabout. The future 500 km version (albeit expensive) looks more practical for someone inclined on frequent weekend out-of-town trips where distances in excess of 400 km can be covered in a day without the possibility of decent charging points.

How strong is the regen braking in this the Nexon EV ?