[docsr]

I bought into the EV word 4 years ago, with the entry of a Hyundai Kona Electric into my garage. After about 2 decades of ICE cars, change to an EV was appealing-a technology of the future.
At the time of launch, Kona was the first full featured EV, with all essential safety kit and electronics. For me this was a change from a 1.6 Polo TSi , a classic car in its own right.
The Kona has done nearly 60K km and is a wonderful city car. Other than a couple of Bangalore-Mysore runs, the car has done duties intra city only - and I think that is what it is ideal for.
For long distance running, our charging infrastructure and general awareness amongst EV users has to improve. While things are improving and there are several reports of people regularly doing 500km runs and even 1000-2000km runs, at present, this is not for everyone.
After using the EV for 4 years now, the comfort and fun factor driving these is phenomenal. The explosive acceleration, silent ride and general comfort levels of the EV are miles ahead of similarly priced ICE vehicles. But, today, it is still not a go any time-anywhere car. For long distance driving, you either need a ICE car (your own or rented).
To me, as it stands, having tested the waters, a good self-charging hybrid, a-la Toyota style, is perhaps a more practical vehicle for our conditions-at least for the near future.

[extreme_torque]

I recently became the owner of a Tesla Model Y Performance, which was a very carefully considered decision and included ICE cars as well and I was looking at a fast SUV. For me its everything including "others" because software defined car is pretty high on my list of "why" as well because

Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates: I have already had more than 6 software updates in the time I have owned the car which would be around 3 months. They have either improved the existing functionality such as adding intelligence to lane change indicator which turns off the indicator only once you have changed the lane rather than dumb 3 or 4 clicks settings since the car actually knows when you have changed lanes using its 8 cameras, or improving the auto headlight or auto wipers or the sentry mode, the built in dashcam and improved lane assist and basic autopilot or added new features such a blue light filtering for the infotainment screen without ever visiting a service center. This is game changer as fas as I am concerned. When you do have to visit a service center for something, Tesla simply adds the courtesy car to your Tesla profile and the car is set up exactly as your personal car, even the phone key works without doing anything.


Connectivity and Integration: Apps such as maps with satellite view, music and video streaming services, navigation tools, and controling the vehicle via the excellent Tesla App. Some of the things that you do from the app - add a new driver, lock unlock door and open boot both front and back, turn on A/C or dog mode or turn on cabin over heat assist which will keep the interiors from getting too hot, put it into valet mode, know where you car parked etc etc


Improved Safety Features: Such is the level of integration that Tesla for example can even control when the airbags are deployed in case of an accident via sofware update as they have more data from their fleet and therefore fleet accidents.

Remote Diagnostics and Troubleshooting: Tesla can remotely troubleshoot a number of issues including with motors, batteries, infotainment and BMS. When you do need service, they can send someove to your home to do it. There is no yearly scheduled service and the warranty is not effected if you do not service your car since there is literally nothing to service.

Then there's Performance which even super cars wont be able to match in actual driving conditions due to instant torque and acceleration, practicality of having a huge rear boot and a huge front boot, excellent stereo system (Tesla has everything in house including audio engineering which is why this unbranded Tesla system blows the absolute pants off the Mark Levinson stereo in my Lexus RX), excellent efficiency even at highway speeds, supercharger network which is just plug and play - you dont even have to open the Tesla app, navigation system which does most of the planning work for you since it knows all the supercharger locations to even how many stalls are in use and even starts pre-conditioning the battery for a fast charge as you approach one. I am also in the process of installing 10.5kw worth of solar panels which would make the already cheap running almost cheaper than walking.

There are some not so good things as well - you have to plan your highway trips if there are no superchargers along the way and you may have to either reply on third party chargers or use slow charging, no camera on the front bumper but you do have ultrasonic sensors on the front bumper atleast in Australia (Tesla vision is near useless for front parking), 21inch wheels on the Performance Model Y are incredibly easy to curb, adjustable damping for the suspension would be great as well - its quite stiff otherwise especially at slower speeds and some design quirks.

Objectively speaking, the only advantage an ICE car has is quicker refueling and perhaps the noise but to get that you have to pay more to buy (BMW X3M is literally twice the cost) and to run, a whole lot more expensive to service and replacements such as brakes pads which can be eye watering expensive on fast cars and has none of the smarts of Tesla and none of the practicality either. For me it was an easy decision.

[voldemort]

I don't have an EV, but the following is why I would switch when I do:

1. Problem with diesel cars: I don't have high running, and I mostly idle away in urban traffic; hence I would face the DPF problem for my kind of use. And we don't know if it'll get banned at some point.

2. Problem with petrol cars: ethanol blended fuel; as far as I know, pumps don't mention the amount of ethanol content, and even if they do the amount of ethanol grade in fuel seems to be increasing unannounced over time. So, even if I buy an E20 (or E(XX)) compatible car, the pumps would soon switch to E30 (or E(XX+Y)) and the car's engine would eventually be degraded.

I tend to keep my cars for long.

New petrol or diesel cars both seem to be flawed. Hence I'm tempted to buy EV next time.

[SS-Traveller]

Apart from the primary reason being low running cost (and low ownership cost too, since I bought myself a used EV (Pre-owned Mahindra E2O Plus P6 | Our baby steps to EV adoption | Ownership Review)) - the other big incentive is hassle-free ownership when the car runs minimally.

Since my average usage is 500-700 km/month for the EV, I don't need to keep a tab about regular oil changes (time-based rather than distance-based if it were an ICE vehicle), don't worry about fuel evaporation and water condensation in the fuel tank (ethanol mixes being notorious for it), no worries about running out of coolant, or even think about gathering sludge in the cylinders due to short trips (where an ICE does not get enough time to warm through - Italian tuning isn't for EVs!).

The EV also spares my ICE car (The Ciazzler® | Our Nexa Blue Maruti-Suzuki Ciaz Petrol (Alpha)) from short runs, and that one only goes outstation, or for city trips that are longer than 60-70 km.

[KingAlec]

Originally Posted by Autoxpert

Tata just released face lift Nexon! I will display my calculations here.

- The total cost per km of an average petrol car is INR 5.5

Just one thing - The starting premise of this post itself is wrong. An "average" petrol car gives 12 kmpl. For a 50 liter tank, km covered with 12 kmpl = 600km. Price of petrol in Delhi NCR = 96.72. Hence cost of petrol = Rs 4836. So cost per km of "average" petrol car = Rs 8.06, and not INR 5.5.

Also - there are many petrol cars out there which barely spit 8-9kmpl. We are not even talking about them.

- Cost on electricity per km for a nexon EV is INR .8
- Battery's price of Nexon EV is INR 8,00,000

Selective data bias. Classic case of mis-attribution of one time buy to running expenses. Nightmare of accountants.

Total running cost of an Nexon EV within warranty period is INR 5.24[/b]
- Difference is INR .26/km

No. Wrong. Please refer the comments above.

My Conclusion

considering cost per km, If you are lucky to drive your EV over 2.5 lakh kms without changing battery pack, Nexon EV is beneficial over a petrol car.

Suddenly where does this 2.5 Lakh comes from! You are free to have an opinion, my friend to justify your choices in life.

Just know that data-wise this doesn't add up. I rest my case.

[mug:mush]

I own a Nexon EV Max and Innova 2.8 Z AT. I picked up Nexon purely as a city car but boy oh boy, the power, the way power is delivered, the finesse, the pin drop silence made me take the car to most of my long drives this year. Completed 9k kms where more than half of it was driven on highways. The car is simply amazing to drive in ghat sections, have done multiple BLR to Sringeri, BLR to Coorg drives. Have done few BLR to Cochin, BLR to Wayanad drives as well and all of these were butter smooth without any issues. I keep reading issues with Nexon but am glad to say that I havent expereinced any (except the nagging Carplay connection issue). I find the fast charging network is growing at a very fast, reliable pace.

Cost savings is a factor yes, but sheer driving pleasure is the real kick!

[styx71]

Although I haven't bought one, following are the reasons why I would buy or perhaps forced to buy an EV due to lack of other options:

1. To avoid the thirsty Turbo Petrols.

2. To avoid the unexciting NA Petrols (based on the cars in the budget that I can afford to buy).

3. To avoid more and more % of Ethanol being shoved down my throat err Petrol Tank.

4. To avoid the unexciting performance of Hybrids on Highway (again, based on the cars in the budget that I can afford to buy).

5. To avoid the headaches associated with usage of BS6 Diesel cars primarily in City.

In Summary, I would buy an EV as probably the worthwhile option to replace my current BS4 Diesel car.

[Autoxpert]

Originally Posted by KingAlec

Just one thing - The starting premise of this post itself is wrong. An "average" petrol car gives 12 kmpl. For a 50-liter tank, km covered with 12 kmpl = 600km. Price of petrol in Delhi NCR = 96.72. Hence cost of petrol = Rs 4836. So cost per km of "average" petrol car = Rs 8.06, and not INR 5.5.

You are right. Efficiency of petrol car ranges from 2KM/L to around 20KM/L. I compared with one of the fuel-efficient cars available in Indian market from Toyota.

Originally Posted by KingAlec

Suddenly where does this 2.5 Lakh comes from! You are free to have an opinion, my friend to justify your choices in life.

Just know that data-wise this doesn't add up. I rest my case.

If an EV can run over 2.5Lakhs, total cost per kilometer will come around INR4/KM.

I am an ICE motor user for about 1 decade. I am also planning to buy nexon EV facelift considering its performance and comfort. These are just my calculations; I think there is no mathematical errors.

[Auto spawn]

I’ve completed almost 2 blissful years with my Nexon Ev prime. To answer the question, I decided to be an early adopter simply due to environmental concerns. Coming from a family of petrolheads, I never thought two test drives would be enough to convince me to take the plunge.
To see what Delhi has gone through, couldn’t imagine living in a similar state. I’ve even had people tell me “How will my one car contribute to saving the environment?”
Although I’ve been successful in using my EV for all my city runabouts, I’ve been even more successful in convincing my family and friends to switch to EVs!

[SN88]

I do not own an EV yet. but why would I own an EV? For me the rationale would be as a means of getting to experience performance of a higher segment car and help pay emi's by fuel cost saving which otherwise in ICE would be a distant dream.
One can buy an EV say for eg a Kia EV6 which has an accelation equivalent to a 1cr+ car without the challenges of fuel cost, maintenance cost etc. EV's are simply offering experiences which before only the higher classes could afford.

[oakpr]

I can't vote yet, but my primary reason would be "Environmental Appeal". Before anyone calls me out and quotes fancy "Harvard" studies showing EV are more polluting - I have made my peace with it and have no patience to argue. Instead, I take solace thinking about my 2 cents in reducing tailpipe pollution where I live.

Other big benefit is "Regen Braking", it's fun and very addictive.

All other benefits mentioned by fellow members are still very valid, just for me personally they were incremental gains and not groundbreaking ones.

• I have owned a powerful and torquey Fiat diesel in past, so EV torque is incremental gain
• I have owned Corolla petrol CVT in past, so smooth transmission is incremental gain
• Low running cost is kind-of offset by paying it upfront (in my case, paid 27L for ZS EV while regular C-SUV would have cost 20-odd lakhs). My annual running is quite average at 12000 km per year and doesn't assure massive cost savings either.

[LeoRBK]

Thanks for this poll.
I was always on the sidelines when it came to EV right from 2019.
I suffered climate anxiety during COVID lockdown. Coincidentally COP26 Glasgow meant a lot of television coverage of climate issues fuelled my anxiety and I took the plunge.

Looking back, one of the wiser decisions in life. Saved me a lot of money during energy crisis and made me feel proud that I am working towards leaving a better world for my child.
The refined drive, courtesy electric drivetrain was the cherry on top. Never going back to a fossil car ever again.

[Fiero]

Interesting poll!

While there are benefits of an EV in terms of the driving experience and emissions reductions in the long term, I think the primary driver is still cost. The tax structure is presently heavily skewed in favour of EVs to encourage adoption but this won't be so forever. As EV penetration increases the central and state governments will start to loose big bucks, on GST, road tax, and tax of fuel, forcing them to cut short the honeymoon period.

I'm sure the number of people buying for environmental considerations and driving experience would dwindle to low single digits if the on-road price of the Nexon EV Max was 25 lacs, or the MG ZS EV was in the 45 lac range - which is what these cars would be today if they were taxed the same as ICE.

If in the next 2-3 years, EV cost does not reduce significantly to offset the ICE level taxes which will eventually start to come back, prices may see a sharp increase.

Lets see. Now seems to be the best possible time to buy EVs for those for whom it works (for whatever reason). You may never again get an opportunity to buy a car in India at pricing similar to many international markets, especially the 4meter+ category of cars.

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by Fiero

If in the next 2-3 years, EV cost does not reduce significantly to offset the ICE level taxes which will eventually start to come back, prices may see a sharp increase.

While I agree EV prices need to reduce, the combination of cheaper batteries and mass production leads to cost benefits to EV.

Do remember, our petrol and diesel is also subsidized to keep the prices where they are. If the 30000Cr is given as subsidy for EVs, we can give a subsidy of 5lakhs to 6lakh EVs.

Petrol is sold for a loss of 17₹/litre, today's crude prices are so high, govt is subsidizing a foreign commodity we buy with dollars.

If we understand the reasons for why Pakistan is bankrupt we will know the prime reason is subsidizing foreign fuel where the money left the economy forever.

https://m.timesofindia.com/fuel-subs...w/97532897.cms

[KingAlec]

Originally Posted by SKC-auto

Petrol is sold for a loss of 17₹/litre, today's crude prices are so high, govt is subsidizing a foreign commodity we buy with dollars.

If we understand the reasons for why Pakistan is bankrupt we will know the prime reason is subsidizing foreign fuel where the money left the economy forever.

Agreed. Roaming around in oil rich countries (Qatar, Emirates) and then looking at India's oil thirst exposure to foreign commodity - brent, crude oil, many a times I have thought about how a non-fossil fuel economy will shift the geo-politics forever. No wonder all the petroleum biggies are funding anti EV research papers on one hand, and investing massively in renewable energy and tech on the other.
Green vines in the power corridors say that the recent impetus on hydrogen fuel cells and ethanol blending is being promoted by the big oil because it suits their petrol pump business model. It is always about who keeps the control - the capitalist organisation or the public.

In case of current generation of EVs, am happy to have an equivalent of a petrol pump in my marked parking lot. Something tells me that very soon new tech will come which will take the control away.